CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — South Korea and Australia are offering to relieve Washington’s strained defense supplier network, as U.S. defense planners grapple with bottlenecks in munitions production.
One partial solution is for overseas-based arms manufacturers to set up shop in the United States – something that Hanwha Aerospace from South Korea is proposing – and another is for American…
Netherlands orders Skyranger anti-drone cannons for under €1 billion
December 15, 2025
PARIS — The Netherlands has ordered Skyranger anti-drone cannons from Germany’s Rheinmetall for less than €1 billion (US$1.2 billion), below the budget flagged to parliament in January.
The Dutch will buy mobile versions of the Skyranger air-defense system as well as…
BERLIN — Estonia has begun installing the first concrete bunkers along its southeastern border with Russia as part of the Baltic Defense Line, marking a key milestone for the trilateral fortification project despite delays.
Seven bunkers were awaiting installation as…
Belgium doubles down on drone defenses following mystery flights
December 15, 2025
MILAN — Belgium has embarked on a major acquisition push to accelerate the procurement of counter-drone systems, including surveillance radars and drone guns.
The ramp-up is part of the country’s €50 million ($59 million) anti-drone plan following a recent surge in illegal drone overflights near or above airports, military bases, and nuclear-weapons storage sites.
Belgian defense minister…
The House on Wednesday passed a major defense policy bill that would authorize $900.6 billion in discretionary spending for the Pentagon in fiscal 2026.
The National Defense Authorization Act will now head to the Senate for final passage, after its 312-112 approval in the…
ISTANBUL (AP) — The close relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has brought the countries closer to resolving issues that led to Turkey being kicked off the F-35 fighter jet program, the United States ambassador to…
US Air Force instructor pilots have first T-7 in training milestone
December 11, 2025
The Air Force’s first T-7 Red Hawk trainer assigned to an operational unit landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas on Dec. 5, opening the door to the service’s new era of pilot training.
A lot more work remains, however, before the T-7 is officially folded into day-to-day activities to train the next generation of Air Force pilots.
The Boeing-made T-7 is the service’s first new…
PARIS — Norway’s Kongsberg and Germany’s Helsing are teaming up to provide Europe with a sovereign satellite constellation for space-based intelligence, surveillance and targeting by the end of the decade, the companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The plan…
In Estonia, Europe’s last road through Russia has closed for good
December 11, 2025
LUTEPÄÄ, Estonia — Across the snowy and muddy forests of eastern Estonia, NATO and Russia are locked in a staring match. It’s here, the frontier between a country with a population smaller than Vienna’s and the largest nuclear power in the world, that many analysts…
Pentagon taps Google Gemini, launches new site to boost AI use
December 10, 2025
The Defense Department on Tuesday launched a major push to get military personnel, civilian employees and contractors to use generative artificial intelligence capabilities, located on its own website.
Google Cloud’s Gemini for Government is the first AI capability to be launched on GenAI.mil, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video posted on social media Tuesday.
“The future of…
