Tag: Air Defence

Norway, Ukraine Expand Drone Cooperation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the signing of the Joint Declaration on Enhanced Defense and Security Cooperation in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday | Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Norway and Ukraine have agreed to expand defence cooperation with a focus on drone production, including enabling Ukrainian drones to be built in Norway. The deal also covers joint development, technology sharing, and scaling up air defence and military production.

Germany Boosts Ukraine Military Support

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold a press conference at the Federal Chancellery during the German-Ukrainian government consultations on April 14, 2026, in Berlin | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany and Ukraine have signed new defence deals covering missiles, drones and air defence. Berlin also backed Kyiv’s EU bid and called for the release of EU funds to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security.

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.

Germany receives 1st Arrow 3 missile defence system

The Israeli Ministry of Defense handed over the first operational Arrow 3 system to the German Army on Wednesday | Photo: Israeli Ministry of Defense

Germany has activated the first operational elements of the Arrow 3 missile defence system, giving the country and its partners an early-warning and interception capability against long-range ballistic missiles for the first time. The €3.6-billion system—developed with Israel and the US—marks Germany’s first long-range missile shield and forms a key part of the European Sky Shield Initiative.

Rheinmetall Targets €50 Billion in Sales by 2030

(L-R) Boris Pistorius, Germany's Defence Minister, Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, and Sébastien Lecornu, France's Defence Minister, stand in front of a Czech Leopard 2 A4 main battle tank during a visit to the Rheinmetall plant, amid the Franco-German MGCS tank project | File Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa

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.

Northrop Grumman, MBDA Sign Air & Missile Defence MoU

Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager, command and control and weapons integration, Northrop Grumman and Guido Brendler, senior vice president sales and business development Germany and member of the board, MBDA in Germany, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on enhancing German air and missile defense capabilities during the Berlin Security Conference on November 18 | Photo: MBDA Deutschland

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.

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 move fighter jets to Poland for NATO patrol flights

Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft | File Photo: Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa

Germany will deploy Eurofighter jets to Poland’s Malbork Air Base as part of NATO’s new Eastern Sentry mission to strengthen air patrols along the alliance’s eastern flank. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the deployment will enhance NATO’s visibility and readiness amid repeated Russian airspace and drone incursions affecting Poland, Estonia, Denmark, and Romania.

Report: Germany plans large Skyranger air defence order

A Boxer Skyranger 30 air defence system manufactured by the German defence company Rheinmetall is displayed on the grounds of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) during the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) on June 06 , 2024, at Brandenburg, Schoenefeld | File Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

Germany plans to order over 600 Skyranger air defence systems from Rheinmetall in a deal worth more than €9 billion to strengthen its drone defence. The mobile system, now in testing, can be mounted on Boxer and Leopard 1 vehicles and is designed to counter modern aerial threats, including drone swarms.

IAF network goes live

The gigabyte digital information grid of the Indian Air Force (IAF), AFNET (Air Force Network) went live after Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony inaugurated it in New Delhi on Tuesday.