Avatar photo

StratPost News Desk

Follow StratPost on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/stratpost to get news updates and analysis from the world of defence and strategic affairs.

Lithuania orders Saab RBS 70 Bolide missiles

RBS 70 NG Air Defence Missile System | Photo: Saab

Lithuania has ordered RBS 70 Bolide air defence missiles from Saab in a deal valued at SEK 3 billion, with deliveries planned between 2028 and 2032. The purchase follows earlier contracts for Carl Gustaf ammunition and AT4 grenade launchers, expanding Lithuania’s recent defence procurement programme.

Schiebel Test Flies CAMCOPTER S-300 in France

CAMCOPTER S-300 | Photo: Schiebel

Schiebel has carried out the first CAMCOPTER S-300 flight test campaign in France, expanding the system’s flight envelope during trials conducted at a military drone test site near Bordeaux, and bringing the programme to a total of 100 accumulated flight hours.

EMSA Picks Airbus Flexrotor for Maritime Surveillance

Flexrotor Uncrewed Aerial System | Photo: Airbus

The European Maritime Safety Agency has awarded Airbus a €30 million contract to provide maritime surveillance services using the Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system to stream electro-optical, infrared, and radar imagery in real time to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre, with operations set to begin in 2026.

Austria Orders 12 Leonardo M-346 F Aircraft

M-346 F Block 20 aircraft | Image: Leonardo

Austria has signed a contract for 12 M-346 F Block 20 aircraft from Leonardo, covering aircraft delivery, training systems, and six years of logistical and maintenance support. The M-346 F aircraft will replace the Saab 105, which retired from Austrian service in 2020.

Indian Navy Commissions INAS 335 MH-60R Unit

Commissioning of INAS 335 MH-60R Unit on December 17, 2025 | Photo: Indian Navy

The Indian Navy has commissioned INAS 335, its second MH-60R helicopter squadron, at INS Hansa in Goa. The unit is now operational and is intended to support shipborne aviation missions, including anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and search and rescue on the western seaboard.

Finland’s First F-35A Fighter Rolled Out

Rollout of the first Finnish F-35A aircraft | Photo: Tuulia Kujanpää/Finnish Defence Forces

Finland has rolled out its first F-35A fighter, designated JF-501, at Lockheed Martin’s facility in the United States. The aircraft will support pilot training in 2026 before entering Finnish Air Force service, alongside new AIM-120D-3 missile procurement.

KNDS and Leonardo to Jointly Develop Mobile Artillery

Depiction of 155 mm/L52 main gun Artillery Gun Module (AGM) on truck (wheeled AGM) | Image: KNDS

KNDS Deutschland and Italy’s Leonardo have signed a Letter of Intent to jointly develop a new mobile artillery system, combining KNDS’s artillery gun module with Leonardo’s wheeled vehicle platform for future Italian Army requirements. The KNDS 155 mm/L52 main gun Artillery Gun Module has a rate of fire of nine rounds per minute and requires a crew of two to three personnel.

KNDS to Build Leopard 2A8 Tanks in Lithuania

Leopard 2A8 Main Battle Tank | Photo: KNDS Deutschland

Lithuania has signed an industrial cooperation agreement with KNDS, Rheinmetall and EPSO-G to establish local assembly and maintenance facilities for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks, with the first tanks assembled domestically from 2028. The Baltic country joined the Leopard 2 Common Procurement Agreement in 2024 and signed a follow-on contract later that year for 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks.