DefenseNews

German military eyes cruise missiles from Covenant, a surprise vendor setting up shop

September 12, 2026
VIENNA — The German military is in talks with Covenant, a U.S.-Israeli, venture capital-backed startup, over its Anthem cruise missile, the country’s defense ministry said on Friday. The weapon could presumably help close a gap quickly in Berlin’s long-range strike arsenal, meant to deter Russian aggression. That weapons portfolio is considered shaky, as a new version of the go-to…
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DefenseNews

Iran likely to reverse-engineer captured US underwater drone

September 11, 2026
Iran’s capture of a U.S. military underwater drone gives Tehran an opportunity to study and potentially reverse-engineer the vessel, delivering a setback for the Pentagon and drone maker Anduril. The U.S. military and Anduril have downplayed the significance of the drone…
DefenseNews

Russia sends bones of medieval warrior prince to Ukraine front to boost morale

September 11, 2026
Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine to raise army morale in the Russian Orthodox Church’s latest show of support for President Vladimir Putin’s war. The sarcophagus of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1389 and is revered by Russian nationalists for defeating the Mongol Golden…
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DefenseNews

NATO allies foil Russian subsea cable sabotage plot

September 11, 2026
LONDON/WASHINGTON — Deep in Arctic waters near the remote Svalbard archipelago this spring, NATO allies caught Russian subs training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints. The clandestine Russian operation…
DefenseNews

Defense startup’s AI aims to make every munition count

September 10, 2026
When Andy Markoff deployed to Mosul with the U.S. Marine Raiders in 2016, one of the challenges they faced as they pushed ISIS fighters back along a hundred-mile front was that they never had enough munitions, he said. Markoff explained that calling in air support was an…
DefenseNews

Ukrainian industry scrambles to field interceptors against Russian jet drones

September 10, 2026
KIELCE, Poland — As Russia’s military is increasingly relying on jet-powered drones in its war against Ukraine, Ukrainian defense companies are intensifying their efforts to counter the threat while striving to make the interceptors cheaper than the targets they strike. A number of anti-drone system producers from Ukraine are showcasing their solutions to military and industry representatives…
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DefenseNews

South Korea supercharges defense budget to record levels

September 10, 2026
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — South Korea will spend more on its military in the year ahead than it ever has before. The country’s defense budget is set to rise 8.2%, after government leaders announced the increased expenditure on Sept. 3. The boosted defense spending of…
DefenseNews

US Air Force seeks air-defense guns to protect overseas bases

September 9, 2026
In the wake of Iranian attacks that devastated U.S. bases in the Middle East, the U.S. Air Force wants portable air-defense guns that can destroy drones and cruise missiles. The Ground-Based, Medium-Caliber Gun Weapon System project is aiming for a weapon “that fires…
DefenseNews

EU abruptly shelves Kallas-led defense panel after pushback from Berlin, Paris, Rome

September 9, 2026
VIENNA — EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas scrapped plans to launch a high-level advisory group on European defense just hours before its scheduled unveiling, after several member states, reportedly including Germany, Italy and France, pushed back against the initiative. The group, first announced by Kallas at an informal defense ministers’ meeting in Wicklow, Ireland, on Sept. 1, was meant…
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