Defense

MONTREAL — Sweden will soon have the capability to conduct deep strikes far behind enemy lines, as the Gripen will be integrated with the German-made Taurus cruise missile earlier than planned, the Swedish air chief said. “We have reprioritized and done work to ensure that our industry, FMV, and the Air Force’s work on this overlaps as much as possible, resulting in the original timeline…

BERLIN — Ukrainian, European and U.S. negotiators have wrapped up two days of talks here with what officials describe as the most substantial movement yet toward a political framework to end Russia’s full‑scale invasion, even as core territorial questions remain unresolved. Meanwhile, Ukraine on Tuesday predicted the total costs for its defense at $120 billion for 2026, of which half would…

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — South Korea and Australia are offering to relieve Washington’s strained defense supplier network, as U.S. defense planners grapple with bottlenecks in munitions production. One partial solution is for overseas-based arms manufacturers to set up shop in the United States – something that Hanwha Aerospace from South Korea is proposing – and another is for American…

MILAN — Belgium has embarked on a major acquisition push to accelerate the procurement of counter-drone systems, including surveillance radars and drone guns. The ramp-up is part of the country’s €50 million ($59 million) anti-drone plan following a recent surge in illegal drone overflights near or above airports, military bases, and nuclear-weapons storage sites. Belgian defense minister…