Germany’s new armoured brigade in Lithuania has completed its first live-fire exercise, bringing together nearly 3,000 troops and 800 vehicles from eight NATO nations as the alliance strengthens its eastern defences.
Pro-Palestine activists blocked access to the ILA Berlin Air Show ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit. Police removed protesters after they disrupted the opening of Germany’s major aerospace and defence event.
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has expanded access to its counter-drone marketplace through agreements with Australia, Poland and South Korea while also awarding a $500 million contract to Perennial Autonomy for AI-enabled counter-UAS systems and drone interceptors.
L3Harris Technologies announced the Wraith Shield software capability, designed to convert tactical radios into AI-enabled sensing and counter-drone systems. The company said the capability will support military forces operating against small unmanned aerial threats in contested environments.
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded £10 million in contracts to four companies developing autonomous drones designed to support Apache attack helicopters. The drones are intended for reconnaissance, strike support and electronic warfare missions under Project NYX.
Germany and Ukraine will expand defence cooperation with joint work on drones, air defence and battlefield systems. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius described the relationship as a long-term strategic partnership.
Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom plan to develop systems to detect and stop hostile drones and cyber threats. The project will combine telecom networks, sensors and laser-based technologies to protect key infrastructure.
The European Commission has opened applications for founding members of a new EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance aimed at improving European drone and counter-drone capabilities. The initiative will bring together industry, innovators and military users from Europe and Ukraine.
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.
The Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly is urging progress on the FCAS fighter programme amid growing tensions over industrial workshare, with Berlin insisting Dassault adhere to existing agreements. The call comes as reports indicate Germany and France may abandon the joint project altogether and instead shift focus to a shared military cloud system.
BonV Aero’s Air Orca heavy-lift UAV, already used by the armed forces for high-altitude logistics, is being explored for civilian supply delivery across isolated regions of Ladakh.
Dutch military personnel at Volkel Air Base fired at several drones flying over the facility on Friday evening, the Defence Ministry said. F-35 stealth fighters of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force are stationed at the air base located near the city of Nijmegen, close to the German border.
Larsen & Toubro and General Atomics-ASI have signed a partnership to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance drones in India for the armed forces, with L&T as prime bidder and GA-ASI as technology partner under the Ministry of Defence’s 87-MALE RPAS programme.
Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned of legal challenges to a bill expanding the Bundeswehr’s role in domestic drone defence after a surge in suspected Russian drone sightings. The plan would strengthen police capabilities and create a joint defence centre, but faces constitutional concerns over military involvement in internal security.
The Ukraine war and expanding global conflict showered a windfall on German arms companies like Rheinmetall and TKMS, with some startups like Helsing becoming the upstarts of the weapons industry, and other legacy companies like Heckler & Koch even experiencing a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
