Defense

COLOGNE, Germany — The German government plans to equip its military forces with one-way attack drones, setting up three domestic manufacturers for deals that could reach billions of euros. Lawmakers on the parliamentary budget committee on Feb. 25 approved contracts worth €268 million ($316 million) each for startups Stark Defence and Helsing to supply the Virtus and HX-2 loitering munitions…

FORT STEWART, Ga. — Spc. Lathan Thomley enlisted in the Army to become a cavalry scout. Now, he spends hours practicing on a laptop simulator before piloting drones over Fort Stewart’s training area. Thomley is part of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team’s Transformation in Contact initiative, or TIC, where junior soldiers on the ground are at the forefront of experimenting with new drone…

PARIS — Russia’s defense spending in 2025 rose at the slowest pace since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, impacted by financial reforms at the Ministry of Defence and a struggling economy in the face of Western sanctions, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Defense spending by Russia rose by 3% last year in real terms, after a 57% jump…

MILAN — Armed with a fresh defense-cooperation agreement, Denmark and Canada stand to exploit their shared use of MQ-9B drones as a practical touchpoint for Arctic surveillance, according to issue experts. The Danish Air Force officially established Squadron 729 on Feb. 16, which will operate the four MQ-9B long-range unmanned aircraft out of Aalborg Air Base, located in northern Denmark…