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The F-35 and the Future of European Alignment
This week, the United States ambassador to Portugal, John Arrigo, delivered a suggestion that was less a procurement recommendation than a geopolitical proposition. Lisbon, he said, should replace its aging fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft with the American-made F-35 stealth jet…
Moscow and Tehran: Alleged Verba Missile Agreement Adds New Pressure on Washington
A reported secret Russian-Iranian air defence deal has added a new layer of risk to an already volatile stand-off between Washington and Tehran, while raising wider questions about the strategic alignment linking Russia, Iran and, indirectly, China. According to a…
Trump Administration Warns EU Over ‘Buy European’ Defence Procurement Plans
Europe’s accelerating rearmament has opened a new line of tension with Washington: not over whether European states should spend more on defence, but over where that money should go. Reports this week indicate that the Trump administration warned the European…
LEAP Forward: The New Defence Blueprint from Europe’s Military Leaders
In Krakow this week, defence ministers from Europe’s most powerful military states convened under the shadow of a new strategic imperative — the airborne battlefield. France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, traditionally cautious in their collective defence responses,…
New EU funding and procurement architecture for Ukraine shifts towards arms contracts
The European Commission has put forward a new two-year financial package designed to cover a large share of Ukraine’s forecast needs in 2026 and 2027, while tying a substantial portion of EU-level support more directly to defence procurement. The proposals,…
Britain’s Bold Bid to Spawn the Next Defence Unicorn: A £20m Fund Aims to Transform National Security and Tech Innovation
The UK government has launched a targeted £20 million initiative designed to unearth and accelerate the country’s next “defence unicorn”. Announced this week by Defence Secretary John Healey, the fund is tailored to fast-track small, innovative British firms into the Ministry…
Estonia Poised to Strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank with Major Missile Buy
Estonia is poised to select a long-range missile defence system by the end of March 2026, a move that marks a major enhancement of its deterrent posture amid rising regional tensions. The decision, which follows years of sustained investment in…
Indonesia’s Rafale Deal Shows Europe’s Defence Industry Is Back in the Game
When Indonesia’s first Rafale fighter jets touched down at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base this month, the moment carried significance far beyond Southeast Asia. Three French-built aircraft arriving on the tarmac in Sumatra may appear, at first glance, to be a…
Europe’s defence spending soars as Readiness 2030 takes shape
European defence budgets have risen sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest consolidated EU figures show total defence expenditure by the 27 member states reached €343 billion in 2024, equivalent to 1.9 per cent of…
Brussels proposes €90bn EU loan scheme for Ukraine covering 2026–27
The European Commission has proposed a €90 billion EU-backed loan for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, splitting the package between budget support and military procurement and linking disbursements to reform and oversight conditions. The Commission says it wants the first…