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With European experts warning Russia could challenge NATO within two years, the head of Eurosatory 2026 says the show is the last chance to acquire off-the-shelf equipment before a potential conflict. Exhibitors up 30% to over 2,600, with AI-enabled autonomy as the defining theme.
British Defense Secretary John Healey resigned Thursday, accusing PM Keir Starmer and the Treasury of failing to commit sufficient resources. The spending plan would reach only 2.68% GDP by 2030, which Healey says falls far short amid rising Russian threats. Italy's defense minister expressed solidarity.
Congress recently asked the U.S. Air Force for a briefing on the feasibility of buying new C-17 Globemaster IIIs, with allied interest also on the table. Boeing says it is encouraged by the discussions amid surging global airlift demand.
Kongsberg has completed its acquisition of a 90% stake in California-based Zone 5 Technologies, combining the premium Joint Strike Missile with the low-cost Rusty Dagger cruise missile. The Rusty Dagger is now cleared for four fighter types including F-16 and is being supplied to Ukraine.
After Trump threatened to seize Kharg Island following 49 Tomahawk strikes against Iran and Iran's claimed Hormuz closure, former CENTCOM commander Gen. Votel and other commanders assess the extreme difficulty of such an amphibious operation.
The most severe exchange of fire since the April 8 ceasefire as U.S. CENTCOM launched three waves of strikes on southern Iran following the downing of an AH-64 Apache. Iran retaliated with missiles and drones against U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Trump says strikes will continue; Iranian officials review peace talks.
President Trump commented on the crew of the AH-64 Apache downed by an Iranian Shahed drone over the Gulf of Oman, praising their rescue by a Saronic Corsair uncrewed surface vessel. Trump said the aviators got very lucky and reiterated US strikes on Iran would continue.
After the collapse of FCAS, Italy's Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani said Germany would be welcome in the UK-Italy-Japan GCAP program but warned adding a new partner risks delaying the 2035 flight target. Germany's defense minister listed three options: more F-35s, join GCAP, or launch a new German-led program with Airbus.
Boeing Australia unveiled the MQ-28 Ghost Bat Block 3 at ILA Berlin in partnership with Rheinmetall. The new CCA features a 25% larger wing, 12,000 lbf thrust, internal weapons bays for AIM-120 AMRAAMs or SDBs, BLOS capability, and validated low-observable characteristics. Block 3 production aircraft planned for 2027.
Diehl Defence unveiled the Cobra 600 (AirLAS) at ILA Berlin — a jet-powered drone that carries an IRIS-T missile up to 250 miles, acting as a missile taxi to extend ground-based air defense range. The reusable platform by Polaris Raumflugzeuge uses standard Eurofighter pylons and can loiter or conduct combat air patrols.
The ILA Berlin airshow opened this week amid the dual backdrop of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and the collapse of the Franco-German FCAS program. European defense firms are showcasing next-generation uncrewed systems including Boeing's Ghost Bat Block 3, Airbus's Ravenstorm U760, and Diehl's Cobra 600 interceptor drone.
U.S. Central Command launched proportional strikes against Iran following the downing of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache by an Iranian attack drone near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation raises doubts about prospects for an Iran-U.S. peace deal and reopening of the Strait.
The U.S. Navy Task Force 59 Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessel rescued the two-person crew of the downed AH-64 Apache in the Gulf of Oman — the first-ever use of an uncrewed surface vessel for combat personnel recovery. The Corsair, a 24-foot drone boat with a 92M Navy contract, extracted the aircrew before transferring them to a helicopter.
A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache was shot down by an Iranian one-way attack drone on June 9, 2026. Both crew members were rescued by a Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessel. President Trump confirmed Iranian involvement and CENTCOM launched retaliatory strikes.
Airbus revealed the U760 Ravenstorm, a stealthy collaborative combat aircraft for air-to-air combat, strike, and electronic warfare, alongside a Europeanized XQ-58A Valkyrie variant. The announcement coincides with the collapse of the Franco-German FCAS crewed fighter program, positioning Airbus drones as a sovereign European air power alternative.
A Ukrainian officer reveals details of a mid-range AI-enabled drone campaign striking Russian logistics networks deep behind enemy lines, demonstrating artificial intelligence directing swarm strikes against supply chains and rear-area infrastructure at scale.
The Defense Innovation Unit named winners of its 1.1B Drone Dominance Lethality Prize Challenge: Northrop Grumman, Bravo Ordnance, Kela Technologies, Kraken Kinetics, and Mountain Horse Solutions. Their designs become preferred munitions for one-way attack drones, standardizing low-cost lethal payloads for commercial drone platforms.
Germany is weighing options including ordering more F-35 jets following the implosion of the Franco-German FCAS program. Defense Minister Pistorius acknowledged structural failures: knowing what we know today, we would not set up a program in this way again.
Analysis reveals the F-47 Systems Management Office patch encodes the NGAD demonstrator aircraft planform in the firebird motif, continuing a classified aircraft patch tradition dating to Boeing Bird of Prey.
France faces the inverse problem of Germany and Poland: abundant recruits but critical shortfalls in deep fires, counter-drone, and spare parts, according to Army deputy chief Gen. Patrick Justel.
After a rapid exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel threatened to escalate into all-out war, both sides pulled back, with the ceasefire holding amid continuing US-Iran negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. State Department approved a potential .98 billion foreign military sale of counter-UAS platforms built by Anduril to Kuwait, following Iranian drone and missile strikes on Kuwait infrastructure including Kuwait International Airport.
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the engineering and steering spaces of a Palau-flagged oil tanker attempting to sail to Iran, the seventh ship disabled under the naval blockade launched April 13.
The U.S. Air Force is upgrading its KC-135 Stratotanker fleet with new large satellite communications antennas, improving connectivity that USAF says is critical for survivability and effectiveness in contested environments.
Airbus Defence unveiled the U145, an uncrewed variant of the H145 helicopter optimized for risky cargo missions, marking a major push into autonomous rotary-wing logistics and combat support roles.
Molfar Defence, a Polish-Ukrainian anti-drone radar startup backed by Sweden's Front Ventures with a €2M round, is developing tactical radar systems to detect small, low-flying fiber-optic drones that are immune to electronic warfare.
German Chancellor Merz and French President Macron agreed to scrap the landmark Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet project, ending Europe's most ambitious joint defense program after months of deadlock between Airbus and Dassault over specifications and control.
Anduril President Christian Brose warned that the U.S. has been systematically failing to adapt its defense industrial base, highlighting how the opening weeks of Operation Epic Fury depleted eight to ten years of Tomahawk missile production in a few weeks.
Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel on June 7, 2026, in response to an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut. Israeli air defenses intercepted the missiles with no reported casualties. President Trump urged both sides to stand down, citing proximity to a final deal.
France will deploy its Arcadia AI battlefield command system—built with Mistral AI, Thales, Safran.AI and Airbus—at NATO's CWIX exercise in Poland (Jun 8-26), positioning it as a digital sovereignty alternative to Palantir's Maven Smart System. Gen. Patrick Justel cited FMN compliance and decentralized mesh architecture as differentiators.
A June 5, 2026 national security memorandum directs the DoD to update DoD Directive 3000.09 on autonomous weapon systems within 90 days, signaling a shift toward accelerated AI-autonomous weapons integration with relaxed human oversight requirements.
DoD undersecretary Emil Michael says AI firms bear responsibility for ensuring their models cannot be exploited as cyber weapons, as Pentagon AI usage surges to 1.5 million federal employees per month.
The Army has issued an RFI for the Next Generation Short Range Interceptor, targeting Mach 3 speed to replace the Mach 2 Stinger, with FY2028 procurement start and a ten-year production run.
Pakistan is expected to announce a 20-25% increase in defense allocations in the upcoming FY2026-27 budget, while formalizing its Army Rocket Force Command and expanding one-way effector and fifth-generation air platform programs.
The US Air Force confirmed it will purchase unused MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers from General Atomics after losing dozens during combat operations against Iran, reducing its fleet from 231 to 135 aircraft—a B combined loss. GA-ASI has fewer than 10 available. The Air Force is pursuing an 'MQ-9 Next' successor program.
Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton warned Russia is raising stakes beyond acceptable thresholds and the UK faces a £28bn (8bn) funding shortfall over four years. PM Starmer's Defence Investment Plan has been delayed for months amid budget rows ahead of a July 7 NATO summit.
The Pentagon has begun accepting deliveries under its Drone Dominance initiative, with roughly 20,000 small one-way attack and FPV drones ordered from 10 vendors. Neros leads with all 2,400 units shipped. A second Gauntlet competition for longer-range drones is upcoming.
Estonian robotics firm Milrem Robotics has opened a new assembly line in Born, Netherlands with VDL Defentec, producing THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles for Ukraine. The Netherlands has pledged 100+ robots. The facility offers rapid scaling capability for European defense production.
The U.S. Air Force awarded contracts to GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce to develop propulsion solutions for medium-thrust autonomous collaborative platforms, supporting next-generation loyal wingman and UCAV programs.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced that Naval Station Norfolk will trial receiving power exported from a Ford-class aircraft carrier this summer. The USS Gerald R. Ford, recently returned from a 322-day deployment, is likely to be used. This pilot program aims to demonstrate the capability to meet emergent mission-critical energy needs at shore installations using nuclear-powered carriers.
Following President Trump delay of a USD 14 billion arms package to Taiwan after his Beijing summit with President Xi Jinping, analysts predict Taiwan will accelerate indigenous weapons development. Experts say the pause represents an interim pullback in US commitment, with Taiwan expected to focus on asymmetric capabilities including drones and munitions rather than big-ticket conventional systems.
The United States and Iran have reached a tentative agreement to extend their ceasefire, allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and lift some US sanctions and blockade measures, according to Reuters sources. The memorandum of understanding would give negotiators 60 days to reach a final deal addressing Iran nuclear program, though President Trump has not yet approved the framework.
U.S. missile inventories will require three or more years to restore to pre-war levels following Operation Epic Fury, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis. Over 1,000 Tomahawks, 250 SM-3s, and hundreds of THAAD and Patriot interceptors were expended during the 39-day conflict with Iran. Production timelines and foreign military sales complicate recovery efforts.
Lithuania's State Defense Council authorized the Ministry of National Defence to purchase 936 Patria six-wheel-drive armored personnel carriers from the Finnish manufacturer. A contract is expected in 2027 under the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) program, which includes Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the UK, and Ukraine. The vehicles will replace Lithuania's M113 fleet and support air defense, medical, and logistics roles. Lithuania aims to retain domestic industry participation, with Patria already collaborating with local companies for over a year.
Raytheon is developing Increment 2 of the U.S. Navy's Mark 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) torpedo, focusing on producibility and military hardening after Penn State completed Increment 1. In-water testing is scheduled for late 2026 to evaluate the forebody's processing, control, and array systems. The Navy is expanding propulsion options to include electric and stored chemical propulsion. Raytheon's contract covers anti-submarine warfare and hard-kill anti-torpedo variants launched from Virginia-class external countermeasure launchers, with future applications planned for surface ships and aircraft.
Ukraine will purchase 20 new Saab Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models from Sweden next year, Presidents Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Kristersson announced at Uppsala air base. Ukraine has earmarked €2.5 billion from a €90 billion EU loan package for the aircraft. Deliveries of the new Gripen E jets are expected from 2030, while the older models provide a stopgap solution. Ukraine plans to eventually acquire all 150 jets stipulated in the original letter of intent signed last year. Saab shares rose 4.4% following the announcement.
Québec-based Davie Shipbuilding and UK-based Kraken Technology Group announced a strategic collaboration to establish Canadian production, integration, and development of Kraken's autonomous maritime solutions. Davie will provide Canadian capacity to produce Kraken's uncrewed surface vessels and next-generation autonomous systems. The partnership combines Kraken's autonomous technologies with Davie's transatlantic shipbuilding footprint and aims to establish Canada as an autonomous maritime leader. The announcement comes as Western governments prioritize autonomous and AI-enabled maritime capabilities to strengthen sovereign industrial capacity.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made an explicit political and commercial pitch for TKMS' Type 212CD submarine at Canada's CANSEC defense exhibition, marking a shift from Germany's traditional restraint in arms export promotion. The German-Norwegian joint bid for up to 12 submarines, valued at C0 billion (US3.3 billion), faces competition from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean. Pistorius cited C6 billion in GDP impact and promised four submarines by 2036, emphasizing NATO interoperability across the northern flank. A Canadian decision is expected by early July before the NATO summit in Ankara.
U.S. Central Command confirmed it received multiple threat reports of adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater, marking the first official confirmation of such targeting in an active war zone. Senator Ron Wyden and bipartisan legislators warned that commercial location data can identify troop patterns for targeting by missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. CENTCOM's area of responsibility includes the Gulf, where U.S. forces are engaged with Iranian military forces. Legislators called for disabling advertising IDs on military devices, automatic location-sharing shutoffs, and moving away from Chrome browser.
Thales Canada was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Canada to supply the S2087 low-frequency towed array sonar for the Royal Canadian Navy's future River-class destroyers. The S2087 is a member of the CAPTAS family and is currently deployed by the British Royal Navy and selected for Australia's Hunter-class frigates. The system will enhance Canada's maritime security and Arctic defense capacity while supporting interoperability among Five Eyes and NATO allies. With this acquisition, the Royal Canadian Navy becomes the 20th navy to select CAPTAS sonar systems.