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…
PARIS — France plans to spend an additional €8.5 billion (U.S.$9.8 billion) to buy munitions through to 2030, with the return of high-intensity warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine showing a need for more mass, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament on…
PARIS — Europe can’t rely on the United States to supply the continent with sufficient quantities of air-defense missiles, and needs to step up local production of interceptors, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said at the Paris Defense and…
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…
Trae Stephens, co-founder of defense technology firm Anduril Industries, sharply criticized American lawmakers on Tuesday, warning that congressional dysfunction and Silicon Valley arrogance were handing China a strategic opening in the race for military and technological…
Chinese corvette recently trained its weapons on Philippine frigate, officials confirm
March 26, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy has confirmed that an armed Chinese corvette engaged its fire control radar against a Philippine frigate this month, marking the latest escalation between the two nations in contested areas in the South China Sea.
The guided…
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…
US Army to demo first crew-free Black Hawk
March 25, 2026
The Army has taken a step toward pilot-optional flight, receiving its first Black Hawk helicopter equipped with autonomy systems that allow it to fly without a human crew.
The service received the aircraft, designated H-60Mx, and said the Black Hawk variant will begin…
PARIS — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called NATO allies “cowards” for their unwillingness to help secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said would be a “simple military maneuver” with little risk.
Analysts studying military matters and…
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. Subscribe here.
The U.S. Army hasn’t even officially taken delivery of its most powerful high-energy laser weapon yet, but the service is already walking away from it in pursuit of a newer model.
In a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report…