#defence budget 2022

[evilisk]

Gacha Games I've Played (And Dropped) in 2024

I'm broke but gacha games are free

= = =

Soul Tide (2022 - Present)

I didn't even stick with this for a week. I hate almost all gachas where the player characters have the magnetism of shitty harem anime protagonists. This game had that and a VERY inconsistent artstyle between all of its playable characters.

Fortress Saga (2023 - Present)

This shouldn't even really be here since it's more of an idle game than a gacha one, but it has the same shitty monetization as other gacha games and I didn't want to dedicate one post to one game since it's the only idle game I played.

This was fun for maybe the first hour, then it was addicting (but in an unfun, nasty way) for the next 20 hours. It's a shame because I do like the general concept (it's called Fortress Saga since you're running a Howl's Moving Castle-esque castle), but it's designed to be extremely addicting.

You do tasks that will get you pulls, and then you use those pulls to complete tasks which will get you more pulls, and you can use those pulls to complete more tasks to get more pulls to complete more tasks to- you get the idea

Didn't feel like I was playing a game, it felt like I was getting played by the game. I think certain types of people should REALLY avoid this.

Path To Nowhere (2022 - Present)

AKA "I can fix her" the gacha game

This game has some interesting things going for it. Even though I dislike "harem anime protagonist" syndrome, you can at least choose to be a female harem anime protagonist. It may have probably been designed with straight audiences in mind, but a not insignificant portion of the fanbase seems to be queer, so that's pretty neat.

...Unfortunately I just couldn't get into the gameplay. I thought it was just Arknights, but this game confirmed that I cannot play gacha tower defense games AT ALL. Gacha RPGs? I can deal. Gacha tower defence games? Absolutely unplayable to me.

Higan: Eruthyll (2022 - Present)

I thought I'd check out this game, because it's not doing so hot and an end of service announcement may be imminent. It's still not canned yet but I got nothing. Nothing to say about the budget Genshin designs, the story or the auto battler gameplay.

Grimlight (2022 - 2024)

I stuck with this one for a while, mostly because I'm going through a whole "South Koreans doing their own takes on western fairy tales" phase (other things that currently interest me are Lobotomy Corporation, Not Sew Wicked Stepmother and A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmother. I'm just hooked man).

The story is essentially Kingdom Hearts and the character designs (in the portraits at least) are very nice. There's not much of an actual game though. It's an auto battler so you're not really doing much of anything. The tiny battle sprites don't do the character designs any justice. And when the game's 'cancellation' was announced I had no real reason to continue.

Langrisser Mobile (2019 - Present)

The last game I dropped. It got me to stick around for 3-4 months, which almost no other game did. I think this is actually pretty decent if you're looking for a PVP game, that's just not what I wanted. Having to do PVP matches every day *just for my dailies* ended up being a big reason I dropped it.

The other reason is that progress is sooooo slow. I actually wanted to see how the main plot would get resolved. But 80% of my story progress was in the first month. After that it'd take weeks of grinding just to see the next story cutscene / fight. Then after progressing by one stage, you're back to grinding again.

Even gameplay progress is slow. I thought twice about dropping Grimlight since I had so many characters unlocked. But in Langrisser, I was still using the same 4-character team (Leon, Vargas, Almeda and Liana) from the beginning with only 2-3 new characters I actually picked up and was using (Varna, Bernhardt and Rozenciel).

I respect the game for having some of the coolest crossovers in any gacha (they got Slayers, Valkyria Chronicles 1, Yu Yu Hakusho, Gintama, even Pop Team Epic), I also *love* that dork Almeda, but if I ever play more Langrisser, I hope it's through remasters of the original games.

= = =

There is one final game I played, but unlike the others, I didn't actually drop it:

Reverse:1999 (2023 - Present)

That's right this was actually just a roundabout way of saying "I am now a Reverse 1999 fan".

I don't want to get into it now, but it feels more like "Touhou if it were a gacha game" than Touhou LostWord, which at this point, barely has anything to do with Touhou, if we're being honest. There are more of these "alternate universe" characters (read: OCs that are only loosely inspired by Touhou characters) than there are actual Touhou characters in LostWord.

All this to say that "I'll probably be posting about Reverse 1999" on this blog.

[protoindoeuropean]

As we are moving to probably (at least) one referendum taking place in 2024 (on the building of the second block of the Krško nuclear power plant), here's an overview of the 27 referendums we've had in the country's history (i.e. the last 32 years).

The profusion of referendums has generated some interesting events:

a superreferendum Sunday (an established set phrase in the language by now) has occured twice (three referendums on the same date; it has happened in June 2011 and in November 2022);

one referendum had to be repeated after its results were declared invalid (because of the government using state budget funds for the campaign);

changes to the law concerning the national broadcaster (RTV) were put on referendum a record three times;

one successful referendum result was not implemented for 17 years (because of an alternative agreement between the concerned parties in the first years following the result; noted with an * above);

after the quorum requirement, two (three, if we include the original referendum that had to be repeated) referendums failed because not enough people voted, even though they were technically successful – not only did they fail to reach the quorum for the majority vote, the overall attendance was below the quorum as well

Some more notes:

a referendum can be proposed by the National Council, 30 members of the National Assembly or 40 thousand people;

referendums can be legislative (about a specific proposed or implemented law) or advisory (about a more general question concerning the country that does not need to have a law proposal attached to it; it is non-binding); legislative referendums can be rejective (seeking the abrogation of a law) or initiative (proposing a law) – as a rule, rejective referendums are also subsequent (as the law they seek to abrogate is usually already in place; they can be preliminary if the law is in the process of being proposed), while initiative referendums are preliminary (they have to be as the law is not yet actually established);

since 2013, not only do 50% of the votes have to be for/against for the referendum to succeed, but that majority also has to represent at least 20% of the voting population and referendums on emergency defence measures, financial and tax-related topics, ratifications of international contracts and laws amending unconstitutional human rights issues are not allowed.

I have notes on the particular referendums too and I can talk about those if anyone is interested, but this is it for now.

[redsamuraiii]

What to Do With the Dead Kaiju? (2022) *spoilers*

Life in Japan changes drastically when a Kaiju appeared and rampaged through cities before it died mysteriously. While people rejoice and bask in relief, the giant corpse left behind begins to slowly rot and bloat, as government and military officials are concerned with something new they do not understand.

While the Self Defence Force which normally handles national crisis like natural disasters, they are ill equipped to handle something of alien nature. A ‘Special Forces’ consisting of scientific and combat experts was formed as a task force to handle the studies and safe disposal of the Kaiju. 

The Prime Minister declares a state of emergency for the safety of everyone asking people to stay indoors as much as possible as there are still things about the Kaiju that is unknown such as the increasing thermal temperature of the Kaiju and the presence of contagious fungus around the remains.

Three years later, the scientific research is still underway and the people have grown restless from the home quarantine issues and protests against the government for the military draft of its citizens to combat a possible Kaiju threat as many soldiers have died during the first incursion.

The government is facing an economic crisis facing budget constraints to rebuild its country from the destruction of the Kaiju attack and after three years of isolation that some of its cabinet propose that the Kaiju remains be used as a tourist attraction for people around the world to cover the costs of recovery.

Arata Obinata (Yamada Ryosuke) of the Special Forces is assigned as the commander of the clean up operations and work alongside his former team member and love interest, Yukino Amane (Tao Tsuchiya) who now works for the Department of Health as the Kaiju remains now falls under her jurisdiction.

Yukino is still perplexed by Arata’s disappearance three years ago, the same time the Kaiju dies. Further investigation revealed that a mysterious asteroid-like light hit the Kaiju which might have killed it, the same light Yukino went to investigate which caused her to be dismissed from the Special Forces.

Arata is defensive everytime Yukino tries to probe his past sensing that something is at play. Yukino began to learn of rumours of a “Chosen One” which was said to have killed the Kaiju, a mysterious being of light, which was revealed later at the end to be Arata. 

It’s meant to be a comedy parody of Tokusatsu genre like Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman. A film that is not meant to be taken seriously, although the film does have its potential to be a serious one like Shin Godzilla. The depiction of the Special Forces is similar to SSSP of Shin Ultraman.

We’ve seen countless Kaiju films that show Kaiju rampaging through the cities and humans fighting back by conventional means or using Jaegers (Pacific Rim) or relying on another mysterious being (Shin Ultraman). But none of them focus on the aftermath and the logistical challenges of the clean up operations.

The one aspect of this film that I find to be actually interesting where you see the government officials debating issues from finance, health, foreign affairs and military operations to safely dispose of the Kaiju remains and the budget constraints for such a massive operations and to rebuild its destroyed cities.

Although there are certain jokes made by the Prime Minister and his cabinet which I find excessive and unnecessary, the plot is actually good. It’s clear that the film is heavily influenced by the latest Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman. I honestly did not expect that ending with a silhouette of an Ultraman-like being.

Nonetheless, it’s a fun show to watch. I like how they portray the unglamorous part of cleaning up, the ground crews, engineers and soldiers involved while waiting for the slow replies of the government, giving you a glimpse of how such people are involved in the clean up operations after every natural disaster.

The first bit of the movie reminds me of when Covid-19 pandemic first started where the world appears to stopped for a moment where everyone stayed home, people were panicking and hoarding items from the grocery stores, people protesting, and soldiers being activated to assist in lockdowns. 

[yesterdanereviews]

R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned (2022)

Film review #575

Director: Paul Leyden

SYNOPSIS: Sherriff in the Old West Roeciphus Pulsipher is gunned down and killed in a shootout with some outlaws. Before he can proceed to the after life, he is recruited by the Rest in Peace Department (R.I.P.D.) to hunt down souls that have not departed from the Earth. "Roy" is partnered with veteran officer Jeanne to investigate a disturbance that could put the whole of humanity at risk...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned is a 2022 film. Despite what the name implies, the film is not a sequel, but a prequel to the 2013 film R.I.P.D., in which we see the story of how veteran officer Roeciphus "Roy" Pulsipher joined the department. The film is set in the Old West, where Roy is killed in a shootout with a local outlaw gang. He is recruited by the Rest in Police Department (R.I.P.D.) to deal with souls called "Deados" who have remained on Earth after death and must be sent to the afterlife. Roy is teamed up with another officer, Jeanne, to investigate an increase in strange activity. If you watched the first film, you'll know exactly what to expect from this film, because it is basically the same plot: rookie and veteran partner up to stop the souls of the dead from returning to Earth. However, unlike the first film, which was still entertaining by just rushing through the film and relying on constant action and strong character performances, R.I.P.D. 2 doesn't even have that, and the film stumbles along without any real energy or appeal. It doesn't expand on the world or the lore in any way, it doesn't reveal anything new about the characters, it's just a completely recycled product with all the good stuff thrown out.

The only returning character from the first film is Roy, who was played by Jeff Bridges in the original, is played here by Jeffrey Donovan (obviously Bridges would have been a bit too pricey for this low-budget prequel). While I see a lot of praise for Donovan's performance, I just didn't see it. In his defence, it might just be the awful script and writing that is giving him stunted dialogue and interactions, which is certainly feasible, as the characters interact rather clumsily. Jeanne 's characters is very much a typical "veteran cop," and the French accent gives it away that she is meant to be Joan of Arc fairly early, although the film "reveals" it a lot later (although I'm not sure if it is meant to be obvious, because the writing doesn't indicate it). Despite her being a famous historical figure, it doesn't fails to add anything to the film or her character. Following the lore of the film, Roy and Joan look completely different to living people so they can't be recognised, and are given the appearance of two black women. This does present an opportunity for the film to address the racism and status of black people in the Old West, but the film chooses to play it safe and does the bare minimum with it. If they're not going to address the topic, they might as well just not bothered having it as a plot point at all.

Every establishing shot in the film gives away that everything is a set devoid of substance beyond the camera. The effects are plain, and nothing stands out to make things interesting. The ending wraps things up in a roundabout way and addresses issues that I didn't realise were an issue (who actually shot Roy or something). Overall, you're not going to get anything out of this film that the original, and is far inferior in every way. Everything about the film feels cheap and uninspired, and the things that made the original entertaining are absent. Releasing ten years after the original as well means that the opportunity to ride the hype of its predecessor is long gone, leaving it alone and essentially dead on arrival.

[usafphantom2]

European Defense Agency starts research on automatic air-to-air refuelling for hose and basket system

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/23/2022 - 16:00 in Military

The launch of research on the hose and drug system will prepare air-to-air refueling tankers, such as A330 MRTT, A400M or C295, to deal with more demanding operations and be ready for the next generation of unmanned platforms.

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The European Defense Agency (EDA) has started a new research project, led by Spain and in collaboration with Germany, to develop an automatic air-to-air refuelling operation (A3R) with the hose and basket system.

The two-year EDA project, with a budget of €4 million, will involve an industrial consortium of Airbus Defence and Space (Spain and Germany), GMV, German Aerospace Center (DLR) and AES Technology (Germany). A limited number of flight tests will be carried out in 2024 with an Airbus A330 MRTT tanker plane and Tornado aircraft provided by the two participating countries.

Air refuelling (AAR) is one of the main pillars of air mobility and a key force multiplier. The AAR is an operation that requires tanker aircraft pilots and receivers to operate in tight formation, flying in variable flight conditions, during the day or at night and performing high-precision maneuvers to achieve contact.

Although the hose and basket system of AAR operations has evolved in terms of new systems that provide better information to the Refuel Operator and better operational awareness, the way the refueling is carried out has been the same for the last 70 years. For example, there were no substantial improvements in providing greater assistance to the aircraft involved in the different phases of the AAR operation.

Although nowadays the success rate of hose and basket contacts is high, the impact of unsuccessful contact is significant, often resulting in mission cancellations, damage to assets and hindering operational effectiveness. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the operation, the introduction of innovative automation features in AAR systems will provide new ways to better assist the aircraft during this operation and will increase the success rate of AAR missions.

The feasibility of greater AAR automation has already been demonstrated by Airbus by achieving a fully automatic contact with the boom system in 2020 and the recent certification in 2022 of a fully automatic boom. The launch of research on the hose and basket system will prepare air-to-air refuelling tankers, such as A330 MRTT, A400M or C295, to deal with more demanding operations and be ready for the next generation of unmanned platforms.

A3R: trade-offs, technology and new operating concepts

The first phase of the project is focused on the trade-off of technologies that will be necessary to carry out the future automation of the operation, such as the levels of automation or assistance to be implemented for manned and/or unmanned platforms.

Technologies will be evaluated, prototyped and tested in real scenarios such as flight testing. This will allow the proper identification and tracking of the hose and basket system and the receiving aircraft. The technical gaps to be addressed will include sensors, computing capacity and suitability in all climatic conditions.

A simulation environment will also be developed to evaluate the optimal trajectory of the receiving aircraft towards the basket, analyzing the interaction between them. Technology gaps have already been identified around the necessary data/communication link between the tanker plane and the receiving aircraft and how factors such as latency, integrity or data accuracy can affect it.

Within the current project plan, a concept will be developed to increase the stabilization of the basket, also evaluated in a representative environment such as a wind tunnel.

Finally, the project will also align this technological development with operational needs and explore new ways to perform the AAR operation to increase its efficiency and within new scenarios to be considered in the future.

The project began in December 2022 and is executed under CapTech Aerial Systems of the European Defense Agency.

Tags: A330 MRTTMilitary AviationREVO - Air Refueling

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[axvoter]

Blatantly Partisan Party Review XI (Victoria 2022): Liberal Democratic Party

Prior reviews: federal 2013, VIC 2014, federal 2016, VIC 2018, NSW 2019, federal 2019, federal 2022

What I said before: “This is a cynical and callous party for people who lack empathy. Its economic and social policies are destructive; its approach to firearms is dangerous; its blinkered hostility to government accepts no possibility it can be used for—or that there even is such a thing as—collective good.” (federal 2022)

What I think this time: Every election, I think to myself that I should simply add this party to the list of parties I do not review. Unfortunately, the only reason I do not review a party is because they are likely to be very well known to my readers. The Liberal Democrats are too obscure for me to justify this.

So, why do I wish I could just skip right past them? They are aggressive right-libertarians, a callous “I got mine” ideology that assumes the worst about everyone. Think of the worst Ayn Rand stans or the most zealous gun nuts. I didn’t think they could get much worse than being intellectually bankrupt ideologues, but then the pandemic happened and they embraced anti-lockdown cooker attitudes. Their MPs pledge to never vote for a tax increase or a reduction in liberties, and it turns out blinkered one-size-fits-all pledges like these are utterly unable to address the complex realities of the world, because guess what! Pandemics sometimes require temporary restrictions for public health and everyone’s long-term liberty and happiness! Instead of explaining that exceptional circumstances require exceptional policies, they decided to bray against every pandemic measure they could.

Not only does the Liberal Democrats’ name routinely mislead people trying to find the Liberals or the Australian Democrats on massive upper-house ballots, but also this party that claims to be so democratic is in fact committed to anti-democratic Group Ticket Voting. Its members have advanced spurious defences of this system, which funnels all above-the-line votes to parties chosen through backroom deals rather than by voters themselves. The Liberal Democrats have benefitted enormously from this anti-democratic lottery: their two current members of the Legislative Council harvested preferences so well in 2018 that they won from primary votes of 0.84% (David Limbrick) and 3.78% (Tim Quilty). Both of these occurred because of completely artificial GTV preference flows that we can verify from other elections would not have happened if above-the-line voters had been able to distribute their own preferences.

On a lighter note, Quilty has peddled “Rexit” or “regional exit”, the creation of a regional state in inland Victoria and NSW separated from the control of Melbourne and Sydney. It is one of the more comical new state proposals of recent years. But he even got Victoria’s Parliamentary Budget Office to do an economic profile for his fever dream. Enjoy.

My recommendation: Give the Liberal Democratic Party a weak or no preference. Remember to vote below the line on the large ballot for the Legislative Council so that your preference goes where you want it to go; all ballots with 5 or more preferences marked below the line are valid votes.

Website: https://vic.ldp.org.au/

[beardedmrbean]

Finland's government has significantly increased its defence budget since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ilta-Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun) reports on Wednesday morning. This increase has been especially reflected in the Finnish Defence Forces' procurements over the past six months.

IS writes that at least 260 million euros worth of new equipment has been purchased by the Defence Forces since February, with just over 100 million euros spent by the Ministry of Defence in the last month alone on new purchases.

However, recent procurements, such as ammunition, are largely just basic defence equipment, IS notes. For example, military aid to Ukraine has contributed to the shortage of such stocks, with Finland having sent more than 90 million euros worth of equipment to the country so far.

Meanwhile, 1.6 billion euros have been allocated by the government for defence procurements in the draft budget for next year, a 765 million euro increase compared to 2022.

Incoming storm

An autumn storm is on its way to Finland and will hit in earnest on Thursday night, Iltalehti (siirryt toiseen palveluun) informs readers.

Tuesday's rainy conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday and gusts are forecast to begin developing during Wednesday in the west of the country and early on Thursday morning in the north, as well as inland.

According to Foreca meteorologist Joanna Rinne, while Thursday morning's winds are expected to be the strongest, the windy weather is set to continue into Friday.

Rinne added that in southern and central parts of the country, winds are not expected to weaken significantly until Saturday.

For Wednesday and Thursday, the Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued strong wind warnings (siirryt toiseen palveluun) for multiple parts of the country, indicating dangerous weather conditions.

Agricultural drones in Finland?

Agricultural drones, mainly used for pesticide-spraying, may be used in Finland in the near future, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (siirryt toiseen palveluun) writes, as the idea of using drones for crop protection is gaining traction within the EU.

The EU Member States have welcomed the move and expressed no objections when commenting on the Commission's June proposal (siirryt toiseen palveluun) for a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products, according to Tove Jern, Senior Agricultural Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The proposal states that drones "are likely to help reduce the use of plant protection products due to targeted application and consequently help reduce the risks to human health and the environment compared to use of land-based application equipment."

Moreover, Finland's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is preparing a national law amendment to go along with the EU regulation, which would allow research institutes to apply plant protection products by drone, MS writes.

The use of drones for crop spraying was widely discussed in Finland a few years ago, but the issue was put on hold since EU legislation explicitly prohibited it.

However, it now looks possible that the use of agricultural drones in Finland may be approved in three years' time, by 2025, according to Jern and team leader Pauliina Laitinen from the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes).

[peoplemattertv]

DRUK Newsletter

Royal Price Tag Shock: Cost of King’s Guards’ Bearskin Caps Soars to £2,040 Each—Taxpayers Fume as Defence Budget Slashed! It has been revealed that the cost of the bearskin caps worn by the King’s Guards when on ceremonial duty has soared recently from £1,560 each in 2022 to £2,040 in 2023. Figures released show that over £1 million has been spent on these tall, distinctive head-dresses over the…

[head-post]

EU presses Hungary, Slovakia hoping to steer them on anti-Russian course

The European Commission (EC) formulated serious shortcomings for Hungary in a report on the rule of law. Hungary has made some progress in implementing the European Commission’s recommendations in last year’s rule of law report, but serious shortcomings still remain. The EC has therefore ruled that Budapest cannot access the remaining frozen EU funds.

Blocked funds for Hungary

The EC made a series of recommendations ranging from making the judiciary more transparent to cracking down on corruption and reforming lobbying and campaign finance practices last year. The report recognises the ongoing judicial reforms, which were one of the preconditions for the release of the tranche of frozen funds.

The National Judicial Council, composed of judges elected by their peers, can exercise its powers to effectively check the powers of the President of the National Judicial Office, and the transparency of case allocation has further improved at the level of the Curia, Hungary’s supreme court.

However, the situation has not improved in the lower courts. Political pressure on the prosecutor’s office remains a concern, creating a risk of unwarranted interference in individual cases. Judges constantly face pressure on freedom of expression, and smear campaigns against them in the media continue.

With regard to Hungary’s efforts to fight corruption, the EC notes that Hungary has adopted a new anti-corruption strategy for 2024-2025 and legislation is planned to combat lobbying and the “revolving doors” phenomenon, which entails switching positions between the public and private sectors.

The new Integrity Authority reports that it faces obstacles in effectively carrying out its oversight tasks, and the Anti-Corruption Working Group has yet to produce tangible results, the report said.

Political party and campaign finance shortfalls remain unresolved, and the government has adopted new rules restricting foreign funding of political activities.

At the end of 2022, the EU blocked the allocation of €6.3bn from the Cohesion Fund to Budapest over concerns about rule of law problems, corruption and lack of judicial reforms. The refusal to release the funds is part of the EU’s Conditionality Regulation, which aims to protect the Union’s budget from risks associated with rule of law violations. In addition, around €2.5bn of cohesion funds are blocked due to the treatment of refugees, discrimination against LGBT people and violations of academic freedom.

Hungary is to receive €10.4bn from the RFP, including €6.5bn in grants and €3.9bn in loans. These funds can only be provided if Budapest fulfils all 27 superstages. In December 2023, Ecofin approved the amended country’s RRF plan, clearing the way for the transfer of €0.9bn in pre-financing to REPowerEU, which is not conditional.

Pressure on Slovakia via Ukraine

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and members of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico’s left-right cabinet have threatened Ukraine with “retaliatory measures” for halting Russian oil imports through the Druzhba pipeline.

Ukraine’s tightening of sanctions against Russian oil giant Lukoil has cut Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia, and Hungary’s top diplomat Peter Szijjártó said earlier this week that ‘the oil security of Hungary and Slovakia is at risk.’ Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are exempt from EU sanctions on Russian oil because they rely heavily on it. Pellegrini said at a press conference with Defence Minister Robert Kalinak in Bratislava on July 24:

“I firmly believe that order will be imposed as soon as possible on the Ukrainian side, because Slovakia as a sovereign country will eventually have to resort to retaliatory measures, and that will not benefit Ukraine, its citizens or any of us in this region.”

Pellegrini’s statement came a day after Szijjártó said Hungary would block the disbursement of funds from the European Peace Fund (EPF) for Ukraine until Kyiv allows Russian Lukoil’s oil transit through Druzhba.

Slovakia was one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters before Fico’s cabinet cancelled state military aid to Ukraine. Some experts believe Kyiv made such a move to influence Slovakia and Hungary, which refuse to adhere to the EU’s anti-Russian policy.

Fico openly co-operates with Hungarian right-wing politician Viktor Orbán, despite the fact that they are at opposite ends of the left-right divide in the political spectrum.

Hungary’s disqualification from hosting a key meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers is the latest sign that Brussels is ready to take Viktor Orbán’s defiance of EU norms seriously.

Hungary’s opposition to much of the EU agenda has rarely been subtle. It is sharp. Orbán’s government has been in constant conflict with Brussels on issues ranging from judicial independence and media freedom to anti-LGBT+ laws and corruption. Most recently, Hungary has become a thorn in the side of the EU over its support for Ukraine, constantly blocking resolutions and even funding for Kyiv.

Symbolic signal

The EU took the unprecedented step this week of stripping Hungary of the right to host the next meeting of foreign and defence ministers because of its stance on the war in Ukraine. The meetings were originally due to take place in Budapest, but will now be held in Brussels.

The move follows Orbán’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month. While Orbán called the trip a “peace mission,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as “nothing less than a mission of appeasement.” Outgoing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said Orbán’s actions must have “consequences” and that “we must send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal.”

Borell also took the opportunity to condemn Hungary’s continued veto of EU military aid to Ukraine, which currently touches €6.6 billion in reimbursements. In response, Hungary called the move “utterly childish.”

Hungary’s economy is feeling the effects of its estrangement from the EU, and its poor performance in recent years has perhaps hit conservative Hungarians – Orbán’s mainstay – hardest.

Energy subsidies, which give Hungarians some of the cheapest gas and electricity in Europe, support the majority of the population, but the Hungarian forint has depreciated significantly in recent years, affecting the cost of imports and contributing to inflationary pressures.

Oil row

Kyiv imposed sanctions blocking the transit to central Europe of crude oil sold by Moscow’s largest private oil company, Lukoil, raising fears of supply shortages in Budapest last month. Hungary gets 70 per cent of its oil imports from Moscow and half that amount from Lukoil. Hungary now wants the EU to intervene on its behalf. The country’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó told a meeting of EU envoys in Brussels on Monday:

“Ukraine’s decision fundamentally threatens the security of supply to Hungary. This is an unacceptable step by Ukraine, a country that wants to become a member of the European Union, and by its decision alone jeopardises oil supplies.”

Slovakia also said it could suffer from Ukraine’s partial ban on Russian oil exports through the country. Moscow accounted for 88 per cent of Slovakia’s oil imports in 2023.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is threatening Slovakia with repercussions over a bill that would give foreign agent status to any NGO that receives more than €5,000 a year from abroad. European Commissioner Vera Jourova said:

“If the Slovak government, follow Hungary’s example regarding the NGO law, we will immediately launch an infringement procedure.”

The Slovak parliament is considering a law that would give the status of a “foreign-supported organisation” to any NGO that receives more than €5,000 a year from abroad. In addition, the authors of the bill from the Slovak National Party (part of the ruling coalition) proposed to introduce mandatory publication of information about the sponsors of non-profit organisations.

The European Commission rejected a request from Hungary and Slovakia to resume oil supplies from Russia via Ukraine, Financial Times reported.

At a meeting of EU trade representatives on July 24, Budapest and Bratislava demanded that EU countries take retaliatory measures against Ukraine within the framework of the association agreement with the EU. The publication writes that the sides did not come to an agreement. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said that Brussels would need more time to gather evidence and assess the legal situation.

According to three diplomats interviewed by the FT, 11 states supported the EC’s position on the issue and no country sided with Budapest and Bratislava. The FT specifies that the share of Russian oil in Slovakia’s only refinery is 35-40 per cent. Products from this oil are exported to the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

Read more HERE

[bogusfilth]

Exciting bloodthirst in the Guardian today -

[Macron's] determination to vanquish Putin’s Russia, which he views as a mortal threat, is not shared by Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the other big EU player. Overly fearful of nuclear escalation, he has been the ultimate Ukraine foot-dragger – and he stuck to his (spiked) guns and slashed defence budget in Washington. Epitaph for Scholz: he understood the 2022 invasion marked a historic watershed – a Zeitenwende– then failed to rise to the challenge.

From the Guardian today probably the most unhinged sentence I have ever heard. It's not clear to me what you could possibly be more justified in fearing than nuclear escalation. (by the way, he also says "Macron deserves credit for demonstrating that Europe’s rising tide of intolerant nationalist-populism can be turned back." as if.)

Plus, a big fan of the way that

Instead of casting around for fresh global challenges and missions, Nato should concentrate on proactively confronting the supremely dangerous threat on Europe’s eastern borders. It’s the same menace that prompted the alliance’s founding in 1949. Russia remains Nato’s raison d’être. It always was.

implies that no matter who is in power in Russia, it has some sort of intrinsic quality of being an enemy of the west and a nation that NATO should oppose.

and finally

Deterrence is not enough. Putin must be unambiguously defeated and he and his murderous generals brought to trial. The alternative – the loss of Ukraine – may sound a death knell for Nato itself.

Under what circumstances does "militarily defeat a nation and put its governmental and military leadership on trial" not present an objective that would absolutely warrant a nuclear response in the eyes of an enemy nation.

[jobaaj]

🚨Poland is preparing for war!!🚨 🤔 What happened?

▪ The Polish Chief of Staff has made a striking announcement: Poland must brace for an all-out conflict!

▪ The Deputy Defence Minister has revealed a significant troop increase, with the number of soldiers guarding Poland's eastern border rising from 6,000 to 8,000, and an additional rearguard force of 9,000 ready to deploy within 48 hours.

▪ Furthermore, Poland is bolstering its defense capabilities with a $2 billion deal to acquire F-35 stealth fighters, Patriot missile systems, and Abrams tanks from the US!!!

🧐 Why?

▪ Due to escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions.

▪ Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has been on high alert, fearing it could be the next target.

▪ Additionally, Poland's recent signing of an 'unprecedented defense agreement' with Ukraine increases its likelihood of becoming a Russian target.

😲Now what?: ▪ Poland is actively looking to expand its military capabilities against Russia. ▪ In May, Poland announced its ‘East Shield’ programme, which would cost $2.5 billion to beef up its border along Belarus and Russia by 2028. ▪ It has increased defence output by 4% and will hike its defense budget by about 10% in 2025. ▪ Moreover, Poland has increased its military recruitment in preparation for war! ❓Will 2024 be the year of World War 3? Follow Jobaaj Stories (the media arm of Jobaaj.com Group for more)

About Jobaaj Stories

Jobaaj Stories started as the storytelling branch of Jobaaj and has grown to cover news, inspiring stories, and informational resources. Our mission is to educate and inspire young professionals and students through storytelling, enriching you with information and motivation.

[gook54-blog]

Business Tech: "Constraints

Budgetary constraints have posed a growing challenge. Between 1995 and the 1998 the defence budget was cut by 11.1%.

In 2015, the defence force was 24% underfunded in terms of its size and shape. Defence spending in 2022/23 was 8.4% lower than in 2021, and 21% lower than in 2013.

The country’s ailing economy and low growth put severe pressure on government finances.

Because of the budgetary constraints, the serviceability and functionality of high-tech equipment – especially the Gripens, frigates and submarines – couldn’t be sustained.

The hollowing out of the armed forces was laid bare in 2023. The defence minister, Thandi Modise, disclosed that a staggering 85% of the air force’s aircraft fleet was out of action, leaving the country vulnerable to external security threats.

By 2013, only two of the 26 Gripen fighter aircraft and three of the 24 Hawk aircraft were available for service.

The funding crisis is so severe that some defence analysts are now proposing to reduce the air force to a mere air wing of the defence force, which would have fewer than 75 aircraft.

The navy is in no better position. All frigates, the navy’s primary combat and patrol vessels, are in urgent need of repair. The three submarines that were part of the 1999 arms deal also came with a limited number of spare parts, like the frigates. Sometimes, none of the submarines are serviceable."

[marketsndata]

Flame Resistant Fabrics Market Size, Share and Research Report 2030

Global Flame Resistant Fabrics Market size was recorded at 3.31 million tons in 2022, which is expected to grow to 5.53 million tons in 2030 with a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period between 2023 and 2030. Stringent safety regulations and industry standards significantly drive the demand for flame-resistant fabrics. Key sectors such as firefighting, oil and gas, electrical, and chemical industries necessitate adherence to these regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of their workforce. This, in turn, stimulates the demand for flame-resistant fabrics that act as a fundamental defence against fire-related risks.

Moreover, the continual growth and expansion of industries like oil and gas, where flame-resistant fabrics are crucial due to hazardous working conditions, play a significant role. The rise in exploration and production activities necessitates a consistent supply of flame-resistant apparel and protective equipment, thereby driving the market forward. Additionally, the market benefits from the increasing diversification of application areas. Flame-resistant fabrics find relevance not only in traditional sectors such as industrial and military but also in sports, motorsports, and recreational activities. This expanding application landscape further augments the demand for flame-resistant fabrics, positioning the market as an indispensable component in ensuring safety and protection across various domains.

Sample report- https://www.marketsandata.com/industry-reports/flame-resistant-fabrics-market/sample-request

Ongoing Rise in Defense Investments to Drive the Demand for Flame Resistant Fabrics

The heightened demand for flame-resistant fabrics within the military and defence sectors is notably attributed to the continuous growth in defence budgets across nations. Governments and defence agencies worldwide are allocating substantial resources to modernize their armed forces and ensure their preparedness due to the ongoing Russian Ukraine war. Flame-resistant fabrics are engineered to resist ignition, prevent the spread of flames, and provide a critical layer of defence against extreme heat and fire hazards. In combat scenarios or training exercises involving explosives, combustibles, or volatile environments, the deployment of flame-resistant uniforms and gear is important leading to strong demand for flame-resistant fabrics.

For instance, recent data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) highlights a substantial surge in defence expenditures in the United States. In the transition from 2021 to 2022, there was a remarkable increase of USD 71 billion in defence spending. This noteworthy uptick can be attributed, at least in part, to the allocation of military assistance to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict. Such substantial investments made by various nations in the defence sector are poised to drive an increased demand for flame resistant fabrics.

Robust Performance of the Oil & Gas Sector to Heighten the Demand for Flame Resistant Fabrics

The oil and gas industry stands as a major consumer of flame-resistant fabrics, primarily owing to the inherently hazardous work environments associated with the sector. Flame-resistant fabrics provide a critical layer of defence against thermal and flame-related risks, significantly reducing the likelihood and severity of injuries resulting from accidental fires or exposure to extreme heat. The continuous growth and expansion of oil and gas exploration and production activities are major catalysts propelling the demand for flame-resistant apparel and protective equipment.

For instance, in the fiscal year 2021-22, India witnessed a 9% growth in its crude oil processing capacity as compared to the preceding fiscal year of 2020-21. This rise in oil & exploration around the world raises the number of workers associated with it, which in turn increase the demand for flame resistant fabrics for protective purposes.

Increased Sales in Automotive Sector to Raise Flame Resistant Fabrics Usage Globally

Flame resistant fabrics play a critical role in the automotive industry, finding applications in multiple areas such as vehicle interiors. Components like seating, headliners, and carpets utilize flame-resistant textiles, adhering to safety standards and enhancing fire safety within the vehicle. Moreover, the ongoing rise of electric vehicles (EVs) further emphasizes the importance of flame-resistant fabrics. As the industry adopts advanced battery technologies, flame-resistant materials play a crucial role in battery enclosures and thermal management systems, bolstering the safety and reliability of EVs.

For instance, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers witnessed substantial growth in various sectors. Demonstratively, the sales of passenger cars escalated from 1,467,039 to 1,747,376 units, and utility vehicles saw a significant rise from 1,489,219 to 2,003,718 units. Furthermore, van sales exhibited an increase, moving from 113,265 to 139,020 units during 2021-2022 in comparison to the preceding fiscal year. The global surge in automotive sector sales is expected to drive the demand for flame resistant fabrics.

Impact of COVID-19

The flame resistant fabrics market experienced a significant impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly within the healthcare sector, where there was an unprecedented increase in the demand for flame-resistant fabrics used in medical applications. The surge in need for personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gowns, and other medical textiles skyrocketed, aiming to safeguard healthcare professionals and patients, consequently leading to a substantial rise in demand for specialized materials. Additionally, there was a heightened emphasis on the development of flame-resistant fabrics infused with antimicrobial and antiviral properties, further enhancing safety measures. These fabrics were designed for versatile application across different sectors, including healthcare, transportation, and public spaces. However, amidst the heightened demand for medical textiles, other industries employing flame-resistant fabrics, such as automotive and aerospace, faced a downturn due to pandemic-induced lockdowns, decreased consumer demand, and disruptions in manufacturing operations.

Impact of Russia-Ukraine War

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine significantly influenced downstream industries of flame-resistant fibres. Specifically, Industrial sector experienced a notable decline in sales as numerous companies halted operations in Russia, resulting in weakened demand for flame-resistant fibres. Moreover, the transportation sector’s performance in the affected regions deteriorated, further diminishing the demand for these specialized fibres. However, amidst these challenges, the escalation of defence investments and increased oil & gas exploration driven by the conflict and geopolitical instability served as a counterforce, mitigating the declining demand for flame-resistant fibres on a global scale.

Flame Resistant Fabrics Market: Report Scope

Flame Resistant Fabrics Market Assessment, Opportunities and Forecast, 2016-2030F”, is a comprehensive report by Markets and Data, providing in-depth analysis and qualitative & quantitative assessment of the current state of flame resistant fabrics market globally, industry dynamics and challenges. The report includes market size, segmental shares, growth trends, COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war impact, opportunities and forecast between 2023 and 2030. Additionally, the report profiles the leading players in the industry mentioning their respective market share, business model, competitive intelligence, etc.

Click here for full report- https://www.marketsandata.com/industry-reports/flame-resistant-fabrics-market

Contact

Mr. Vivek Gupta 5741 Cleveland street, Suite 120, VA beach, VA, USA 23462 Tel: +1 (757) 343–3258 Email: info@marketsandata.com Website: https://www.marketsandata.com

[militaryleak]

Handover of Final A350 Government Aircraft to German Air Force

Lufthansa Technik today handed over the third and final Airbus A350 government aircraft to the German Federal Ministry of Defense's (BMVg) Special Air Mission Wing at a festive ceremony during ILA Berlin. Secretary of State for Defense Nils Hilmer officially put the aircraft with the registration 10+03 into service this afternoon. This already marked the second premiere for “Schumacher”, as the largest modernization programme in the history of the Special Air Mission Wing comprised a total of four cabin modifications for three aircraft. Lufthansa Technik delivered all of them to the German Armed Forces on time and on budget. The initial handover of 10+03 took place just a few months after the political decision was made to replace the German Air Force’s two long-serving Airbus A340s with three brand-new A350s for long-haul political and parliamentary air transport. As the first aircraft was needed in service very quickly, Lufthansa Technik initially only equipped 10+03 with an interim cabin and handed it over to the then Minister of Defense in August 2020. The first A350 deliveries with a full government cabin followed in November 2022 and in March 2023 with 10+01 “Konrad Adenauer” and 10+02 “Theodor Heuss”. 10+03 “Kurt Schumacher” then also returned to Lufthansa Technik’s Hamburg VIP Completion Center, where its cabin interior was completed until recently. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak #aircraft

Lufthansa Technik today handed over the third and final Airbus A350 government aircraft to the German Federal Ministry of Defense’s (BMVg) Special Air Mission Wing at a festive ceremony during ILA Berlin. Secretary of State for Defense Nils Hilmer officially put the aircraft with the registration 10+03 into service this afternoon. This already marked the second premiere for “Schumacher”, as the…

[novumtimes]

German conscription plan an abrupt turnaround after decades of complacency expert | World | News

Germany’s plan to reintroduce conscription marks a “remarkable turnaround” after years of complacency and over-reliance on “US protection”, a former German MEP has said. Hans-Olaf Henkel believes his country’s abrupt volte face has been forced upon it by first ex-US President Donald Trump during his time in office, and then Russian President Vladimir Putin, with his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Proposals currently under consideration could see teenagers – both male and female – aged 18 and over required to do two years of national service Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius, is thought to be planning to go public with his ideas next month – with Rishi Sunak confirming plans for a similar, albeit non-compulsory, form of national service in this country should the Tories be re-elected on July 4. Mr Henkel, who is also the former president of the BDI, Germany’s equivalent of the CBI, who has been deeply critical of European commission President Ursula von der Leyen when she held the role currently occupied by Mr Pistorius, was unsurprised by the news. Referring to the unification of East and West Germany in 1990, he told Express.co.uk: “This is only the latest development in the most remarkable turnaround of German politics after WW2. “For decades, many German politicians promoted the idea that ‘weapons are the reasons for military conflicts’. “Once the wall came down in Berlin, they ran down the Bundeswehr further, drastically reducing Army, Navy and Air Force. “The then-Minister of Defense von Guttenberg, a Member of the very conservative Bavarian Party, CSU, made himself popular by eliminating the compulsury military service, replacing it by a system of an Army based on volunteers.” As a result, the number of soldiers in the German armed forces shrank to a historically low level, Mr Henkel pointed out. He continued: “In parallel, the German Government, first under Chancellor Angela Merkel and later under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, spent the money saved for social benefits, climate protection and foreign aid.” Mr Henkel continued: “Two foreign Heads of Government changed all that, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. “Chancellor Scholz abruptly changed course by declaring a Zeitenwende, (which translates to ‘turn of an era’). “Of course, it was Putin who shocked most if not all German politicians by invading Ukraine. Ironically, also Trump contributed to the dramatic shift in German politics. “Before Trump, Germany relied on America’s protection, underspent on the army at the expense of the US. tay payer for decades.” Most German defence ministers had ignored the NATO commitment to spend at least two percent of GDP on the military budget, Mr Henkel pointed out. He added: “Instead, German Foreign Ministers and Ministers for Aid to Developing Countries constantly boasted moral leadership through lavish financial support to every corner of the world. (Recently, it became public that Germany finances bycicle roadsn Peru to fight climate change.) “Today, Germany is by far the largest supplier of military aid in Europe, second only to the US I guess Zeitenwende has the potential to enter the English languages in the same way as kindergarten, angst, zeitgeist, wunderkind or weltschmerz.” Source link via The Novum Times

[govindhtech]

Google Cloud hosting FedRAMP High & Moderate Workloads

FedRAMP

Among many other services, AI, security, and analytics are now mission-ready for FedRAMP High workloads

Following Google Distributed Cloud Hosted’s Top Secret/Secret permission, Google Public Sector today revealed it has accomplished another major milestone: more than 100 other cloud services have now received FedRAMP High authorization.

With Assured Workloads in FedRAMP High settings, U.S. federal customers may now take advantage of cutting-edge enterprise-grade Google Cloud features spanning cybersecurity, analytics, AI, and more. With the new permission, government agencies can now choose from a more contemporary selection of cloud suppliers to support their digital transformation and assist them fulfil their missions through enhanced data analytics capabilities, platform enhancement, infrastructure modernization, and app modernization.

Approved for Cost, Speed, and Innovation Benefits on Commercial Cloud

Significantly, isolated federal clouds are not the only places where the new FedRAMP High permission can be used. This authorization gives government agencies new ways to take advantage of Google’s best-in-class AI capabilities in secure environments across Google Cloud’s current product portfolio. It also aligns with the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) guidance for adopting commercial cloud-based solutions. Security restrictions are integrated into the system by default thanks to Google Cloud’s commitment in secure-by-default infrastructure, negating the need for a conventional, separate government cloud.

With Assured Workloads, users can securely secure and customise sensitive workloads to meet compliance and security needs thanks to Google Cloud’s FedRAMP-authorized services. No physical infrastructure separate from Google’s public cloud data centres is used by Assured Workloads. Rather, it provides an equivalent cost, speed, and innovation benefits of an enterprise-grade commercial cloud with a Software Defined Community Cloud.

FedRAMP

The federal Risk and Authorization Management Programme standardises cloud-based product and service authorization, security evaluation, and monitoring. It was created by the U.S. Federal government. Government-wide programme that provides a standardised, reusable approach to security assessment and authorization for cloud computing products and services that process unclassified information used by agencies,” it defined by Congress in 2022.

Except for some on-premise private clouds, all federal agency cloud deployments and service models must adhere to it standards at the proper risk impact level (Low, Moderate, or High).

Customers must choose Assured Workloads and Assured Support (High only) if they want to use Google Cloud services that are compliant with FedRAMP Moderate or High levels hosting.

Google Cloud’s Compliance with FedRAMP

The Department of Defence (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the General Services Administration (GSA), and other agencies as determined by the GSA Administrator and the FedRAMP director comprise the FedRAMP Board, which was formerly known as the Joint Authorization Board.

FedRAMP Moderate and FedRAMP High Authority to Operate (ATO) have been granted by the FedRAMP Board to Google Cloud infrastructure and certain Google Cloud Services Offerings (CSOs). Google Cloud regularly applies to the Board for FedRAMP Moderate and High clearances for additional services.

Customers under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) can obtain the following additional FedRAMP compliance paperwork from Google Cloud:

Customer Responsibility Matrix (CRM) for FedRAMP

The System Security Plan (SSP) for Google Cloud

Reports on penetration tests and other materials

You can obtain access to this content with the assistance of google cloud’s sales team or your Google Cloud agent.

Government clients can also use the FedRAMP Programme Management Office’s package request form to request Google’s FedRAMP package.

Purchase terms and conditions flow down from google cloud’s partners for customers who make purchases through a Google partner.

FedRAMP compliance for Google Workspace

Users of Google Workspace can use it in accordance with numerous international and U.S. federal government regulations for cloud security and privacy.Google Workspace has FedRAMP High authorization and ISO 27017, 27018, and 27001 certifications. It’s also audited to AICPA Service Organisation Control (SOC) standards.

FedRAMP High Readiness for GCVE

The Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE) High Readiness Assessment Report (RAR), which was supplied by a third-party assessment organisation (3PAO), was reviewed by the FedRAMP Programme Management Office (PMO) in 2023. Given the review’s excellent findings and the absence of any significant capability flaws, GCVE has been approved as a FedRAMP High Ready offering (FedRAMP Package ID FR2405153785).

The US federal government is informed that GCVE has a strong chance of receiving a FedRAMP Authorization when it achieves it’s strong Ready status. Additionally, GCVE is audited in accordance with the Service Organisation Control (SOC) requirements of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and certified against ISO 27017, 27018, 27001, and PCI-DSS.

FedRAMP high vs Moderate

The security measures are integrated and pre-configured to allow customers to achieve different compliance levels without requiring a traditional separated government cloud architecture, thanks to Google Cloud’s commitment in google cloud’s security-by-default infrastructure.

Assured Workloads are required for customers wishing to use Google Cloud to deploy their products in FedRAMP Moderate and High settings. With Google Cloud services, users may use Assured Workloads to securely configure and safeguard sensitive workloads in order to meet compliance and security requirements. Assured Workloads’ public cloud data centres are not connected to any physical infrastructure. Rather, it provides a Software Defined Community Cloud with advantages in terms of cost, speed, and innovation.

FedRAMP security measures are implemented by FedRAMP-authorized services made available through Assured Workloads, enabling clients to leverage Google Cloud’s capabilities to suit their organisational requirements. Through Assured Workloads Monitoring, Assured Workloads additionally offers insight into it’s workload compliance. With the use of this technology, you may identify and address compliance issues and give auditors control attestations regarding the status of your compliance.

Assured Workloads provides the following essential FedRAMP High controls by default for clients handling FedRAMP High government data, in addition to the controls fulfilled by the Google Cloud infrastructure FedRAMP High ATO.

barriers to keep FedRAMP High customer data within the United States; technical support personnel restricted to FedRAMP-adjudicated workers within the United States; encryption consistent with FIPS-140-2 both in transit and at rest; and personnel access controls for individuals with regular access to customer data

Only it-compliant goods and services are permitted. The FedRAMP Moderate and High standards are supported by the logical segmentation of the in-scope compliance boundary.

FedRAMP High and Moderate Data Hosting on Google Workspace

Customers can host FedRAMP Moderate and High data by utilising Google Workspace’s FedRAMP High ATO. When deploying Google Workspace in FedRAMP Moderate and High environments, customers must activate the it-authorized services that fulfil the corresponding permission requirements. Find out how to enable or disable a Google Workspace service.

Furthermore, FedRAMP High compliance and alignment with the customer’s own ATO are made possible by the integrated security controls and feature sets included in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise editions. Google Workspace customers can meet it’s data residency requirements using a Data Region policy.

How to Get FedRAMP ATO

Government data on Google Cloud may be considered by clients seeking an Authority to Operate (ATO). The following benchmarks should be taken into account by organisations in order to obtain an ATO on Google Cloud:

Ascertain whether FedRAMP Moderate or FedRAMP High Select Assured Workloads are needed for the in-scope data (FedRAMP Moderate is part of the free tier, while FedRAMP High requires a premium membership). Services on Google Cloud

Choose your Google Cloud FedRAMP border.

Set up your workloads in compliance with it requirements, the Customer Responsibility Matrix, the Shared Responsibility Model, and the services that are within the scope of Google Cloud.

Engage a third-party assessment organisation (3PAO) to conduct an audit.

Send your package for approval and review to the Federal Agency or FedRAMP Board.

Read more on Govindhtech.com