EU defence spend hits €381bn in 2025
EU defence spending in 2025 is set to reach a record €381 billion, according to fresh data from the European Defence Agency (EDA). The headline number matters, yet the composition matters more: under NATO’s new 3.5% + 1.5% framework, Europe must turn today’s budget momentum into deployable force structure, munitions depth, and resilient infrastructure. This […]
DARPA Backs Robust Quantum Sensors
DARPA’s DARPA Robust Quantum Sensors initiative (RoQS) has taken a decisive step into fieldable navigation, selecting Sydney‑based Q‑CTRL for two awards to deliver software‑ruggedised quantum sensors for GPS‑denied operations. The company says the awards—valued at A$38 million (≈US$24.4 million)—will harden quantum inertial sensing against vibration, shock and electromagnetic interference on airborne, maritime and ground platforms.[1][2][3] […]
Disruptive EW in the Arms Race
Why this matters now The last three years transformed EW from a niche enabler into a decisive force‑design variable. RF‑denied skies over Ukraine incentivised low‑cost, “unjammable” attack profiles and cable‑tethered drones. NATO, in turn, is pushing open architectures and rapid integration pathways to out‑iterate fielded threats. As near‑peer competition tightens, the electronic warfare arms race […]
Defense News Top 100: 5 Turkish Companies
Defense News Top 100 Turkish companies continue to consolidate their positions in the global league table, with ASELSAN (43), TUSAŞ (47), Roketsan (71), ASFAT (78) and MKE (80) all appearing in the 2025 ranking. This year’s list, compiled by Defense News on prior-year defence revenues, shows Turkish primes sustaining momentum amid Europe’s rearmament cycle and […]
Boeing F/A‑XX Sixth‑Gen Fighter
Boeing’s F/A‑XX sixth‑generation fighter concept resurfaced with a new rendering showcased at Tailhook, stoking debate over how closely the Navy’s next carrier‑based jet will track the Air Force’s F‑47—and whether the U.S. industrial base can carry both programs in parallel. This analysis distils the design signals, programmatics and strategic stakes for carrier air wings in […]
Editorial Z-Report | 31.08.2025
Defence Agenda — Evening Brief End-of-day summary · Updated: 31 August 2025 · Europe/Istanbul (UTC+3) 5Top stories 3Programmes moving 2Budget/force structure 24hWatchlist Top Stories UAV swarms vs SHORAD Swarm–defence match-up enters a new test cycle; layered counters are shifting from point solutions to networked effects. Air & Missile Defence CapLink array and missile defence Link-budget […]
Irregular Warfare in the Mountains
This analysis examines how irregular warfare in the mountains can counter China’s coercion along the Himalayan rim, the Tibetan plateau, and Taiwan’s central range—where geography turns altitude, weather, and culture into decisive variables. It synthesizes credible open sources, military doctrine, and historical precedents to outline a practical, partner‑centric approach for Special Operations Forces (SOF). Key […]
NATO 2025 Defence Expenditure
Europe’s rearmament is accelerating. NATO’s latest dataset for NATO 2025 defence expenditure confirms sharp real‑term growth across European Allies, while the United States remains the Alliance’s anchor by absolute outlays. Beyond topline numbers, the new figures signal where capability will materialise over the next five years—and where gaps will persist. [1] Europe surges; the US […]
Hypersonics vs Layered Defence
In the debate over hypersonic missiles vs layered defence, two developments changed the tone this year: credible Navy–MDA testing of terminal defence upgrades and a renewed push to fund the glide-phase kill chain in space and at sea. The question is no longer whether a defender can touch a hypersonic threat at all; it is […]
USAF CCA flight testing begins
Washington’s long‑planned push to field autonomous “drone wingmen” took a concrete step this week as the U.S. Air Force confirmed that Collaborative Combat Aircraft flight testing is underway. The first flight belongs to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ YFQ‑42A; Anduril’s YFQ‑44A is slated to join soon. Beyond the headline, the program’s rapid cadence, force‑design intent, and […]
Artillery in the Age of Drones
Artillery in the age of drones is no longer about map grids and timed salvos. In Ukraine, ubiquitous uncrewed systems now provide near‑continuous surveillance, instant fire correction, and precision terminal guidance. This article examines how drone‑enabled sensing, targeting, and strike have transformed artillery employment—and why mobility and speed now define survivability. From massed fires to […]
ASELSAN’s $1.5B Steel Dome Investment
Foundations for the Next 50 Years ASELSAN marked its 50th anniversary with the country’s largest defense industry investment: a new Oğulbey Technology Base and a sweeping set of capability upgrades centered on the ASELSAN Steel Dome investment. Announced in Ankara with Türkiye’s top leadership in attendance, the program pairs a USD 1.5 billion infrastructure build […]
HAVELSAN–AOI autonomous UAV partnership
HAVELSAN–AOI autonomous UAV partnership signals a decisive pivot toward regionalized unmanned systems manufacturing across North Africa. Under the new framework, HAVELSAN and Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) will assemble and co‑produce autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles tailored to local requirements while targeting African export markets. “This cooperation is not only about production; it is also […]
Loitering Munitions vs CIWS
Loitering Munitions vs CIWS Why now: FPV proliferation and the urgent demand for reliable close‑in intercepts have turned loitering munitions vs CIWS into the defining survivability contest of modern warfare. The contest: guidance, geometry, and seconds that decide outcomes Loitering munitions mix scouting with a terminal strike. They fly low and small. Some dive fast […]
ASELSAN Steel Dome Unveiled
Türkiye has officially unveiled the ASELSAN Steel Dome—an integrated, layered air and missile defence architecture that fuses national sensors, command‑and‑control, and interceptors. The ASELSAN Steel Dome anchors a cost‑effective defence against drones, cruise missiles, and select ballistic threats by combining HAKİM/HERİKKS C2, long‑range early‑warning radars, and the HİSAR–SİPER interceptor family. [1][2][3] Why it matters The […]
Pentagon Ends JCIDS, Embracing Speed
Key Facts Why the decision to end JCIDS matters The announcement that the Pentagon ends JCIDS marks the most consequential change to U.S. requirements governance in two decades. JCIDS—formalized in 2003 to centralize capability needs across the services—became synonymous with weighty documents, multi‑year staffing, and late-to-need capabilities. Its disestablishment signals a strategic pivot: away from […]
UAV Swarms vs SHORAD
Track Unmanned aerial vehicle vs Short‑range air defence. In today’s contested airspace, UAV swarms vs SHORAD has become the core equation shaping survivability, affordability, and force design. The Russia–Ukraine war demonstrates that massed one‑way attack drones can saturate defences nightly, while NATO forces accelerate layered counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) to repair the cost curve [1][2][3]. Why “UAV […]
Strengthening Global Cooperation and Technological Leadership
SAHA 2026 will return to the Istanbul Expo Center on 5–9 May 2026, positioning SAHA 2026 as Europe’s most consequential defence and aerospace convergence this cycle. With more than 1,500 exhibitors across 100,000 sqm, the exhibition will connect primes, SMEs, researchers and government buyers in a high‑velocity, outcomes‑driven setting.[1] Key Facts — SAHA 2026 Strategic […]
Rethinking U.S. Strategy Against the Houthis
Red Sea remains volatile despite months of strikes and diplomacy. Shipping firms keep rerouting, insurance costs stay high, and crews face steady risk. As a result, a reset of U.S. strategy against the Houthis is overdue. A workable plan must combine measured force, pressure on external enablers, and realistic talks through Oman. Why airstrikes alone […]
Russia slashes Shahed unit costs
What is actually getting cheaper—and why it matters The headline drop in Shahed drone unit cost stems from three interlocking dynamics: localization, simplification, and scale. Localization replaced Iranian imports with Russian production at Alabuga, cutting logistics and markup. Simplification shaved non‑essential components—e.g., lighter airframes and engines configured without starters and flywheels—to reduce bill‑of‑materials and assembly […]