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Helsing Turns to Rakuten as Japan Tests HX-2 Strike Drone
Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force is testing the German company’s HX-2 until the end of September, but no purchase has been announced and the agreement with Rakuten remains an effort to secure a future sale.
Trump Orders Cut to US-South Korea Military Drills as Alliance Faces New Strain
The US president has instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint exercises with South Korea, linking the decision to his relationship with Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s reluctance to support US military operations against Iran. US President Donald Trump has…
AUKUS ‘Full Steam Ahead’ as Autonomous Undersea Project Advances
Anthony Albanese says Donald Trump has reaffirmed the three-country partnership as its first signature Pillar II project moves towards joint payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed underwater vehicles.
Taiwan Tests Mobile-Network Degradation in War Drill for First Time
Authorities deliberately reduced mobile-data capacity across central Taiwan while preserving voice, text and emergency alerts, testing whether essential communications can survive a constrained network rather than a complete blackout.
Vietnam Begins Building Its Largest Domestically Produced Anti-Submarine Frigate
The Da Nang construction milestone moves Vietnam’s most ambitious indigenous warship from planning into production, but official claims about domestic weapons content and anti-submarine capability await detailed technical evidence.
Taiwan Plans 16% Defence-Budget Rise as Spending Passes NT$1tn
The proposed 2027 increase would set a new headline level, but its deterrent value will depend on whether Taiwan can turn allocations into delivered missiles, drones, air defence, stocks and resilient infrastructure.
North Korean Missile Unit Expands Pyongyang’s Role in Russia’s War
The deployment of North Korean missile personnel to western Russia, accompanied by new ballistic missiles and launchers, would move military cooperation with Moscow beyond weapons supply and battlefield manpower towards direct operational support. A North Korean missile unit has begun…
Low-Cost Sea Drone’s Approach to Chinese Destroyer Exposes Screening Gap
Verified footage of a commercial autonomous vessel near a Type 052D destroyer illustrates the identification problem created by cheap uncrewed craft.
New Zealand’s One-Way Drone Plan Adds Low-Cost Strike to a Maritime Force
Wellington’s plan to acquire long-range one-way drones, preferably from domestic suppliers, would give a small force an attritable strike option while testing whether sovereign production can support it at meaningful scale.
Taiwan Will Rehearse Moving Arms Factories Under Chinese Attack
Taiwan’s Han Kuang exercise is moving beyond battlefield manoeuvres to test whether weapons production, communications and maritime support can survive the opening phase of a Chinese attack.