CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Australian Army fired an AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzer on home soil for the first time this month, as crews have begun intensive training on the new artillery system before it rolls into service.
The Huntsman will eventually equip the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade, a formation undergoing a dramatic transformation as a plethora of new equipment is…
The disarming of Hezbollah tests fragile government in Lebanon
December 9, 2025
BEIRUT — One year after Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement to end hostilities that had spilled over from Gaza, the Lebanese government is walking a tightrope between disarming Hezbollah and containing local resentment over continued Israeli strikes aimed at…
Autonomous surface vessels to join Pentagon’s global C2 network
December 8, 2025
Autonomous surface vessels will become part of the global command and control network used by the U.S. Navy and other U.S. military services due to a new partnership between HavocAI and SAIC, effectively making the vessels an integrated part of U.S. naval surface power and…
BERLIN — Germany will move to a voluntary conscription model and begin mandatory physical checks for all male citizens coming of age. The country’s parliament approved a draft law to that effect on Friday.
The measure, which is expected to face no serious challenge in the parliament’s Senate-like upper house, is expected to come into force on Jan. 1, 2026.
Under the new legislation, the…
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Once reliant on aging, second-hand vessels from the United States, a steady drumbeat of new warships is beginning to enter Philippine Navy service.
The new capabilities are part of a rapid modernization program there, prompted by aggressive…
Slovenia stalls Patria vehicle purchase amid political wrangling
December 5, 2025
WARSAW, Poland — Slovenia’s government is delaying an envisioned purchase of roughly 100 AMV XP vehicles from Finnish manufacturer Patria during its current term, marking a new twist in the country’s long-running acquisition saga about armored vehicles.
This means…
BERLIN — Germany’s parliamentary budget committee has approved 11 major defense procurement projects worth more than €2.5 billion ($3 billion), bringing the country’s tally on equipment spending for 2025 to over €33 billion across 73 major projects.
The Dec. 3 approval includes a significant expansion of the Bundeswehr’s G95 assault rifle order, additional Joint Strike Missile…
MILAN — The prospect of a conflict in the Arctic is rising, Denmark’s Arctic commander has warned, with the expectation of Russia turning its attention to the High North if and when the Ukraine war ends.
“My expectation is that when the war in Ukraine is over, Russia…
The Pentagon’s watchdog found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the…
PARIS — Military units will start using drone swarms within the next two years as the underlying technology matures, according to the colonel in charge of exploring new defense technology and tactics for the French Army, as well as the Thales executive in charge of drone warfare.
“Within two years, we’ll indeed have real use cases deployed in certain units, and widespread adoption will…
