DefenseNews

Fragile Bosnia pops up as test case for Europe acting without the US

BERLIN — When the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik in late October, it marked a dramatic realignment in the Western Balkans that has sparked concerns in Europe that the fragile post-war order in Bosnia and Herzegovina may become shaky. In the Western Balkan country of three million, where the fateful shots that caused World War I once rang…
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DefenseNews

The US Army wants 11 business jets for ISR missions

After a half-century of flying turboprop ISR aircraft, the U.S. Army is turning to business jets. The service plans to buy up to 11 customized Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft for its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, program, according to the…
DefenseNews

Germany proposes ‘two-speed’ EU to hasten defense buildup

PRAGUE — Germany is spearheading an initiative to create a “two-speed” European Union, proposing that a core group of six major economies bypass the bloc’s traditional consensus-based decision-making to accelerate defense cooperation and industrial competitiveness amid mounting geopolitical pressures. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and his French counterpart, Roland Lescure…
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DefenseNews

Italy gets first Lynx fighting vehicles, due to reshape the army

MONTELIBRETTI, Italy — The Italian army has taken delivery of four Lynx fighting vehicles from Rheinmetall, the first batch in a massive, planned order of 1,050 vehicles. The four tracked vehicles were unveiled at the army’s Montelibretti test range outside Rome in front of an audience including Italy’s defense chief and defense minister as well as managers from Rheinmetall and Italy’s…
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DefenseNews

NATO’s Rutte says Europe can’t defend itself without US; France balks

PARIS — Europeans are “dreaming” if they think the continent can defend itself without the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a meeting with members of the European Parliament on Monday, citing the costs of going it alone and the need to build up a nuclear capability. “If anyone thinks here that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the…
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