Colombia’s new offset policy, the "Sectoral Policy for the Implementation of Industrial and Social Cooperation Agreements-Offset", came into effect in October 2023. Adopted under Ministerial Resolution 4322 of 23 October 2023, the new policy supersedes CONPES 3522 (enacted in 2008) and repeals in its entirety Ministerial Directive No. 26 of August 2011.
As of 2024, India has accrued over USD7bn worth of defence offsets according to a Business Standard report published on 16 January. That figure had been USD2.9bn in March 2020, according to a Standing Committee on Defence (SCoD) report published that month. CTO spoke to two defence experts in India to understand the developments and the scope of offsets there.
Lockheed Martin has opened its first MRO service centre for the S-70 Black Hawk helicopter in Europe. The centre in Bacau was inaugurated on 18 January in Romania, in collaboration with aeronautical manufacturing company Aerostar S.A.
Lithuania has signed several agreements involving local industry participation in recent weeks. The country is collaborating with Ukraine to explore potential joint projects, and four domestic companies have signed letters of intent with Ukroboronprom for joint development and production. Lithuania also signed an agreement with the Netherlands for the procurement of Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact radars.
The UK signed a treaty with Ukraine on 12 January to help the country localise the production of defence equipment. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed the UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to establish “an unshakeable hundred-year partnership”.
Australia will start locally manufacturing Lockheed Martin’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles from 2025. The country announced on 16 January that it had signed an AUD37.4m (USD24.6m) contract with Lockheed Martin Australia. The contract includes a transfer of technology from the US.