DefenseNews

Combat zone widens in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah escalate attacks

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Ukraine-style warfare came to Lebanon this week as Hezbollah started posting video taken from its suicide drones colliding with Israeli tanks rolling into the south of the country. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, for his part, promised to bring Israel’s Gaza modus operandi to Lebanon, as his country’s military, named the Israel Defense Forces, tries to carve out a…
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DefenseNews

Volkswagen in talks to make Iron Dome parts at struggling German auto plant: report

BERLIN — Volkswagen is in discussions with Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems to convert its factory in Osnabrück, Germany, into a production site for components of the Iron Dome air defense system, the Financial Times reported this week, citing multiple sources familiar with the plans. The reported talks are one of the most dramatic signs yet of a structural shift…
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DefenseNews

Netherlands plans $1.1 billion rush order for extra Patriot system

PARIS – The Netherlands plans to place a rush order for an additional Patriot air-defense system for €940 million, or US$1.1 billion, to avoid losing its production slot and joining the tail end of a waiting list of international customers, which the Dutch government says could push delivery back to 2033. The government has until March 31 to sign the order, after which the firm price proposal…
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DefenseNews

China maps ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with US

SYDNEY — China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies. In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025…
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