DefenseNews

Australia touts first GMLRS artillery rocket assembled Down Under

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Australian army has test-fired its first-ever locally assembled Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, a key step toward eventually producing long-range strike weapons locally rather than importing them. The milestone occurred at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia, with the rocket fired from an M142 HIMARS launcher. It was the third live-fire event…
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DefenseNews

Study suggests Russia could conquer Baltic states in 90 days

WARSAW, Poland — Drawing on lessons from the Iran war, a study shows how Russia could force Lithuania into capitulation in 90 days with no soldiers crossing the border. Drafted by the Baltic Defense Initiative, a small think tank based in Vilnius, the scenario exposes specific vulnerabilities of the Lithuanian defense posture, with the aim to plug gaps as soon as possible. Fast-forward almost…
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DefenseNews

Ukrainian drone makers visit Paris looking for co-production deals

PARIS — More than two dozen Ukrainian defense companies traveled to Paris this week to meet with French counterparts, laying the groundwork for co-production deals in France and seeking to bolster integration with the European defense-industrial base. French defense firms have been slow to set up joint companies with Ukrainian partners, with just one joint venture created so far, compared to 11…
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DefenseNews

France mulls fallback tank for delayed MGCS program in defense update

PARIS — France is in talks with manufacturers about an intermediary solution to replace the country’s aging Leclerc main battle tank, as a project with Germany to develop a next-generation tank is delayed, Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told lawmakers on Wednesday. The French-German project for the future Main Combat Ground System, which was supposed to produce the Leclerc’s…
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