Defense

BERLIN — Germany does not want to pursue nuclear weapons of its own, but is interested in incorporating French and British atomic bombs in a deterrence arrangement reminiscent of NATO’s U.S.-based nuclear umbrella, according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I don’t want Germany to consider developing its own nuclear weapons,” Merz said in the Machtwechsel podcast, published online on…

The United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.” Beijing has repeatedly expressed alarm over the installation in the northern Philippines of a U.S. mid-range missile system called…

MUNICH (AP) — An annual gathering of top international security figures that last year set the tone for a growing rift between the United States and Europe opens Friday, bringing together many top European officials with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others. The Munich Security Conference opens with a speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one of 15 heads of state or government…

NEW DELHI — India has cleared a proposal to buy 114 Rafale multirole fighter jets from France to bolster its air force in its largest-ever military hardware procurement. The push to acquire the jets comes amid a critical shortfall in the combat capability of the Indian Air Force at a time when the country has witnessed heightened tensions with Pakistan and China. The Rafales were the biggest and…