German arms industry plan seeks fresh boost for a sector once shunned
A new government strategy names specific areas deemed key national competencies for Berlin that must be maintained domestically.
Europe
Dutch say tight defense market leaves €750M of Ukraine aid unspent
The funds will roll over into the country's 2025 defense budget, and will remain earmarked for providing support to Ukraine, officials said.
Opinion
Ukraine blinds Russian target seekers with drone-on-drone combat
Ukrainian forces have found success in downing Russian spy drones with cheap, first-person-view drones, analyst Federico Borsari finds.
EU-wide weapon buying boosts bloc’s defense spending to record in 2023
European Union countries increased defense spending by 10% to a record €279 billion ($293 billion) last year, according to the European Defence Agency.
KNDS, Europe’s biggest tank maker, names Safran veteran Alary as CEO
The company faces competition from rival and partner Rheinmetall, which is pushing a competing offer for the delayed Main Ground Combat System.
NATO draws up plans for its own fleet of naval surveillance drones
Officials envision fielding a network of drone-based sensors for keeping tabs on vital undersea cables and pipelines in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas.
Beijing sharpens tone over US missile launcher in the Philippines
Since April, the Typhon missile system has remained in one of the military bases in the country’s north after joint drills with the United States.
Italy’s small defense firms ride high amid military spending boon
Family-run firms have long been the backbone of Italian capitalism, pushing the country to become the eighth biggest manufacturing power in the world.
Stealth destroyer to be home for 1st hypersonic weapon on a US warship
The U.S. is working to catch up with Russia and China in developing hypersonic weapons that travel beyond Mach 5.
US will send Ukraine $725M in counter-drone tech, anti-personnel mines
President Biden has pledged to spend all of the military assistance funds Congress approved earlier this year for Ukraine before his administration ends.
Germany’s Scholz is in Ukraine for his first visit in 2 1/2 years
The chancellor's visit comes ahead of an early German election expected in February.
Desertion threatens to starve Ukraine’s forces at a crucial time
Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions.
Poland readies $740 million fund to jump-start ammunition production
Leaders in Warsaw want to cooperate more closely with Slovakia on the production of 155mm artillery rounds.
Criminal probe launched after US Air Force spots drones over UK bases
The U.S. Air Force has reported several incursions recently at four bases where it operates in England.
How NATO make-believe artillerists get comfy with a real-world foe
“At times, the cold and Arctic-like conditions found here can be more threatening to soldiers than combat situations,” said one Finnish officer.
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Key European defense chiefs want Ukraine aid group to remain active
As is the case with most trans-Atlantic security projects, there’s no telling if the incoming Trump administration will sustain bridges built under Biden.