Category: News

Germany to lift arms ban on Israel

The flags of Israel and Germany fly in front of the Berlin House of Representatives on January 26, 2022 | File Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

Germany will lift its partial weapons export embargo on Israel on November 24, citing a stabilising ceasefire in Gaza and and renewed diplomatic efforts to increase humanitarian aid. Berlin will return to case-by-case reviews of export requests, a move welcomed by Israel but debated within Germany.

Joby Conducts First Flight of Demo Turbine-Electric VTOL

Joby Aviation's turbine-electric, autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) demonstrator aircraft | Photo: Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation has completed the first flight of its turbine-electric hybrid VTOL aircraft, developed with L3Harris Technologies to expand the range and operational use of its electric air taxi platform for commercial and defence applications. The company said the demonstrator builds on its all-electric aircraft, which has logged over 50,000 miles of flight testing and is in the final phase of Federal Aviation Administration type certification.

Colombia Orders 17 Saab Gripen Fighters for €3.1B

Gripen E fighter aircraft | Photo: Saab

Saab has signed a €3.1 billion contract with Colombia for 17 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft including two twin-seat Gripen F fighters to be delivered between 2026 and 2032, following orders from Thailand recently, a Ukrainian letter of intent for hundreds of aircraft and strong prospects coming up in Canada.

Germany to buy €150M in U.S. weapons for Ukraine

The Group of Five is represented at a press conference by (l-r) Pawel Zalewski from Poland, Guido Crosetto from Italy, Kaja Kallas for the EU, Boris Pistorius from Germany, Catherine Vautrin from France and John Healey from the UK | Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa

Germany will contribute at least €150 million toward the purchase of US-made military equipment for Ukraine, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a meeting of the “Group of Five” European defence ministers in Berlin under NATO’s PURL scheme.

Merz Urges Ukraine to Address Expanding Graft Probe

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the participants at the German Retail Congress | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pressed Ukraine to pursue anti-corruption reforms after President Volodymyr Zelensky briefed him on a widening corruption scandal that has led to two ministerial resignations and sanctions against key business figures.

German Govt Compromises On Military Draft

Alexander Hoffmann (L-R), CSU parliamentary group leader, Matthias Miersch, SPD parliamentary group leader, Jens Spahn, chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, and Boris Pistorius (SPD), Federal Minister of Defense, at a press conference on the agreement in principle over the dispute over the military service reform | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany’s coalition government has agreed on a new military service model that begins as a voluntary programme but allows parliament to introduce conscription if recruitment falls short.