Japan and U.S. complete Keen Sword 27 with eight live-fire drills and about 200 aircraft
Japan and the United States wrapped up Keen Sword 27 on Oct. 29 after 11 days of training with forces from seven other countries.
Top Stories
U.S. Army tests FD-1 interceptor as a lower-cost option against massed drone attacks
BAE Systems completes 1,000th repair for U.S. Air Force KC-135 fleet at New York facility
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky to supply S-92A+ helicopters for South Korea’s presidential fleet
Leonardo’s backlog hits record €60.4 billion as it raises 2026 order forecast
Shield unveils first X-BAT combat drone prototype with test flight planned for 2026
Royal Navy launches one-way strike drones from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time
Featured
Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles facility to become certified depot for U.S. C-130 Hercules fleet
Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles facility in Louisiana has been selected as a certified maintenance depot for the U.S. C-130 Hercules fleet
Germany reportedly agrees to buy 50% of Leopard 2 maker KNDS to match France’s stake
Germany has agreed to buy the privately held half of defence manufacturer KNDS, German newspaper Die Zeit reported on 5 November
Rolls-Royce Submarines to build full-scale defence prototypes at planned 200-acre Derby park
Rolls-Royce Submarines will work with INFINITY to build and test full-scale prototypes of advanced defence components at a planned technology park in Derby
Ukraine’s intelligence says Russia holds over 700 ballistic missiles and produces about 110 a month
Russia is producing about 110 ballistic missiles a month and has more than 700 in stock, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, estimates
Castelion shows Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Castelion published a photograph showing Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted under the wings of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Hanwha Ocean develops submarine torpedo launcher after decade of work with South Korean defence agency
Hanwha Ocean says it has developed a horizontal launcher that uses pressurised water to eject torpedoes and other weapons from a submarine
U.S. Air Force completes final T-7A Red Hawk escape sled test
The U.S. Air Force has completed the final high-speed sled test of the T-7A Red Hawk’s escape system, moving the trainer closer to qualification of its aircrew safety equipment
Navantia and Fincantieri agree joint venture framework for European corvette programmes and exports
Navantia and Fincantieri have agreed a framework for a 50-50 joint venture to manage their national European Patrol Corvette programmes and pursue related export opportunities
Industry spotlight
Air and missile defenceCombat-proven air defense: recent Patriot® contract awards signal surge in demand across Europe
European demand for proven air and missile defense systems is rising and Raytheon, an RTX business, is investing heavily to meet that need with higher production capacity.
U.S. Army’s Bradley replacement race enters troop-testing phase with first XM30 prototypes from Rheinmetall and General Dynamics
Lockheed Martin CEO says ATACMS production could move to Germany, opening Arkansas capacity for faster PrSM missile output
L3Harris secures record $4.7 billion PAC-3 MSE propulsion deal from Lockheed Martin to expand U.S. interceptor production capacity
U.S. Air Force starts construction of Dyess’ first facility dedicated to B-21 Raider operations
The 46,000-square-foot building will be the first at Dyess dedicated solely to the new bomber, with secure workspaces and communications networks for planning and preparing strike missions.
Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles facility to become certified depot for U.S. C-130 Hercules fleet
Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles facility in Louisiana has been selected as a certified maintenance depot for the U.S. C-130 Hercules fleet.
Saab to deliver Gripen E fighters to Ukraine from 2029 and expand aircraft production capacity
Saab expects to deliver its first Gripen E fighters to Ukraine in 2029, after a planned donation of 16 Gripen C/D aircraft, Chief Executive Micael Johansson told investors.
BAE Systems completes 1,000th repair for U.S. Air Force KC-135 fleet at New York facility
BAE Systems completed its 1,000th repair for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 Stratotanker fleet at its Endicott, New York, facility.
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky to supply S-92A+ helicopters for South Korea’s presidential fleet
South Korea has selected Sikorsky’s S-92A+ for the Republic of Korea Air Force’s Presidential Helicopter II program, Lockheed Martin said.
Castelion shows Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Castelion published a photograph showing Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted under the wings of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet.
U.S. Army says Arctic artillery crews pass live-fire evaluation under simulated enemy counterfire
U.S. Army artillery crews fired more than 600 rounds during an Alaska exercise that tested their ability to concentrate fire from dispersed positions, then relocate before simulated enemy counterfire.
Lithuania receives first Thales GM200 MM/C multifunction radar for its national division
Lithuania has received its first Thales GM200 MM/C multifunction radar, adding to its national division’s ability to locate enemy indirect-fire positions and improve artillery effectiveness.
Elbit Systems to build SIGMA and PULS artillery training facility under 15-year Israeli agreement
Israel’s Ministry of Defense has signed a contract worth more than $190 million with Elbit Systems to establish a training facility for SIGMA self-propelled howitzer and PULS rocket launcher crews.
Netherlands to acquire more CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, defence ministry says
The Netherlands will acquire additional CV90 infantry fighting vehicles and replace ageing engineering equipment to strengthen its army for a potential large-scale conflict
Rheinmetall delivers first series-production Caracal vehicles to Germany and the Netherlands, with deliveries continuing to 2030
Rheinmetall has delivered the first series-production Caracal vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces under a programme to supply more than 1,500 by 2030.
Avenger Triad 26 assesses command-and-control gaps in large-scale European combat scenario
The U.S. Army has identified command-and-control gaps during a multinational exercise simulating large-scale combat in Europe.
Saab to equip Sweden’s four FDI frigates with RBS15 missiles, torpedoes and Sea Giraffe 1X radar
Saab will supply and integrate weapons, sensors and weapon control systems for Sweden’s four FDI frigates under a contract with French shipbuilder Naval Group.
Hanwha Ocean develops submarine torpedo launcher after decade of work with South Korean defence agency
Hanwha Ocean says it has developed a horizontal launcher that uses pressurised water to eject torpedoes and other weapons from a submarine.
Spain’s S-81 submarine Isaac Peral sinks decommissioned patrol vessel with a single torpedo
Spain’s Isaac Peral (S-81) submarine sank the decommissioned patrol vessel Infanta Elena with a single torpedo during the SINKEX-26 live-fire exercise in the Atlantic.
Navantia and Fincantieri agree joint venture framework for European corvette programmes and exports
Navantia and Fincantieri have agreed a framework for a 50-50 joint venture to manage their national European Patrol Corvette programmes and pursue related export opportunities.
EDGE launches first corvette built in the UAE for Angola under €1 billion naval contract
EDGE has launched Angola’s second BR71 MK II corvette, the first vessel of the class built in the UAE under a €1 billion contract signed in 2023.
Hanwha Ocean launches South Korea’s second KSS-III Batch-II submarine with expanded armament
Hanwha Ocean has launched Seo Hui (SS-088), the second KSS-III Batch-II submarine for the Republic of Korea Navy, adding firepower and domestically produced equipment to the country’s submarine fleet.
Defense Intelligence Agency says China is expanding satellite weapons to counter U.S. military power
China is expanding its arsenal of weapons to disrupt or destroy satellites as it seeks to deter foreign intervention in regional conflicts, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said.
Defense Intelligence Agency says Russian nuclear satellite program could threaten thousands of spacecraft
Russia is developing a satellite designed to carry a nuclear weapon that could disable thousands of spacecraft and disrupt services worldwide, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said.
Canada’s MDA Space joins Europe’s IRIS² programme with antenna systems agreement for 66 early-delivery satellites
MDA Space has signed an agreement with Thales Alenia Space to begin work on digital antenna systems for 66 satellites in Europe’s IRIS² secure connectivity programme.
GomSpace and HIMERA begin satellite tests for Ukraine’s independent communications network
Ukraine’s HIMERA and Denmark’s GomSpace have begun operating OBRIA NANO, a test satellite for a planned independent Ukrainian communications network.
Airbus receives order for two more Galileo satellites with stronger anti-jamming protection
Airbus has received a contract for two more second-generation Galileo satellites, taking its order for the European navigation programme to eight spacecraft.
U.S. tests SpaceX Starfall capsule for rapid military resupply under Rocket Cargo program
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has tested a SpaceX-designed Starfall capsule carrying survival equipment under its Rocket Cargo program.




