France and Germany will discuss deepening cooperation on nuclear deterrence, missile defense, long-range strike capabilities and space at a joint ministerial retreat, the Elysee said, seeking to show that the EU’s two largest defense powers can still work together despite differences over major armament programs.
The meetings come weeks after industrial rivalries forced Paris and Berlin to scrap…
CARLISLE, Pennsylvania — President Donald Trump is expected to urge top defense executives on Wednesday to accelerate weapons production and expand manufacturing capacity as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East strain U.S. stockpiles and expose bottlenecks in the nation’s…
US launches new round of strikes against Iran
July 16, 2026
The U.S. conducted a new wave of strikes against Iran’s coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran threatened to shut off more regional energy exports.
The strikes mark…
PARIS — Five European defense firms led by startup Destinus plan to form an industrial partnership to develop Europe’s first exo-atmospheric interceptor, aimed at defending against ballistic missiles, with plans to conduct a test of the kill vehicle in space in 2027.
Destinus, MBDA, Safran, Airbus and Thales signed a letter of intent in Paris on Tuesday to set up the Bliksem EXO consortium…
The U.S. Navy is looking for a family of carrier-based drones that can fulfill a variety of missions, according to a July 14 Request for Information.
The sea service “is exploring the industrial base’s capacity to deliver highly capable, autonomous platforms optimized…
Manufacturing woes hamper US 155-mm ammo production
July 15, 2026
Manufacturing problems are dashing the U.S. Army’s plans to boost production of urgently needed 155-mm howitzer shells, a Pentagon watchdog warned.
Despite a goal of 100,000 rounds per month by October 2025, the Army had only managed to produce 36,000 rounds per month as…
PARIS — Ukraine has agreed on a plan to acquire 16 Rafale fighter jets from France together with the accompanying weapon systems, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference here late Monday following a meeting of the group of countries that have pledged support to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Macron agreed on a roadmap between their two countries that…
PARIS – Germany’s Helsing raised US$1.8 billion in Europe’s biggest-ever funding round for a defense-technology startup, valuing the company at $18 billion and continuing a flurry of mega rounds for the continent’s defense industry.
Munich-based Helsing raised the…
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), operated by Canada and the United States, has gaping holes in its airspace radar coverage. Ottawa went some way to filling those gaps when it signed four related agreements in June for a new…
PARIS — The Hydis project to develop a European interceptor against hypersonic threats settled on a concept based on a solid-propellant rocket motor, according to MBDA, Europe’s biggest missile maker, with the program’s steering committee validating the final concept review milestone on Friday.
The remaining year of the Hydis program will focus on advancing critical technologies to at least…
