Defense Intelligence
for Decision Makers

Lithuanian authorities activated nationwide shelter protocols on May 20 after an unidentified drone violated the country's airspace, marking the latest in a series of Baltic security incidents. Vilnius parliament members, including Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, moved to underground shelters as NATO Air Policing Mission aircraft attempted to intercept the threat....

Germany unveiled plans for a European Space Component Command and Weltraumakademie space training academy at a May 18 meeting of German-speaking defense ministers in Berlin. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius invited Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg to participate in the design phase rather than join completed structures, signaling a collaborative approach to the initiative....

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni notified EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 19 that Italy may reject 14.9 billion euro in SAFE loans intended for defense modernization, marking the second EU defense financing mechanism Italy has considered declining in two months....

The US Navy has deployed directed energy weapons on nine Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers as part of efforts to counter drone and missile threats with reusable, low-cost alternatives to conventional munitions. A Navy official confirmed to The War Zone on May 20 that nine ships carry operational laser systems, though the service declined to discuss whether the weapons have been used against Iranian forces in ongoing Middle East operations....

U.S....

The Trump administration plans to significantly reduce the pool of U.S....