Rheinmetall aims to expand its annual turnover to around €50 billion by 2030, CEO Armin Papperger told analysts during the company’s Capital Markets Day in Unterlüss, with the German defence contractor experiencing a sharp rise in revenue since the war in Ukraine, driven by growing orders for artillery, ammunition, air defence systems and tanks.
The German government has proposed a reform of the Air Security Act to create a legal basis for military action against threatening drones in domestic airspace, with the draft allowing the Bundeswehr to use force or jamming technology against uncooperative drones deemed a danger to human life or critical infrastructure, and enables federal police to request limited technical support from the military.
Northrop Grumman and MBDA Deutschland have signed an MoU to explore cooperation on air and missile defence technologies, including technical exchanges and potential demonstrations involving systems such as IBCS and ARANEUS as part of efforts to assess integrated defence options for Germany and NATO partners.
The Indian Army has contracted Larsen & Toubro to manufacture BvS10 Sindhu all-terrain vehicles with technical support from BAE Systems Hägglunds. The agreement includes logistics support and marks the first expansion of the BvS10 platform into Asia, with the vehicles intended for use across diverse Indian operational environments.
Fraunhofer IDMT has developed an acoustic drone-detection system capable of identifying and locating unmanned aerial vehicles even when they are obscured by terrain or structures. Designed to integrate with radar, optical and lidar sensors, the system provides 360-degree coverage with low energy consumption and autonomous operation.
Saab, Boeing and BAE Systems have signed a Letter of Intent to collaborate on the UK’s next fast-jet training programme, proposing a system built around the T-7 trainer aircraft. The companies plan a UK-based assembly line, integrated live-synthetic training capabilities and expanded supply-chain opportunities, while also positioning the collaboration for future international pilot-training requirements.
Defence Builder of Ukraine and Finland’s 17Tech have formed a strategic partnership to link Ukraine’s battlefield-driven innovation with Finland’s defence technology expertise. The collaboration will support startups from NATO countries, provide access to operational validation environments, enable field testing in Ukraine and expand investor and defence-sector networks across both nations.
Boeing has introduced a unified e-commerce website that consolidates its distribution products and services into a single platform. The company said the launch is part of a wider modernization effort, including updated support systems, enhanced AOG response capabilities and new data-integration tools designed to streamline customer access and supply-chain operations.
Morocco has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for ten H225M aircraft to modernise the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s combat search and rescue capability, replacing its long-serving Puma fleet. The helicopters will be equipped with mission systems including a double hoist, searchlight and Safran Euroflir 410, along with provisions for machine guns and an electronic warfare suite.
The Airbus-built Sentinel-6B satellite has launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base to continue long-term monitoring of global sea-surface height. Developed through a partnership involving ESA, NASA, EUMETSAT, NOAA and CNES, the satellite will operate alongside Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich for its first year before taking over as the reference mission for sea-level measurements, supporting climate research, coastal planning and marine forecasting.
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.
Embraer has introduced a new operational concept for its A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, allowing operators to conduct counter-drone missions using existing sensors, data links, and weapons systems, building on the A-29’s existing features and requiring no major airframe modifications.
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.
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 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.
