Keel Laying Ceremony Held for Portugal’s First AOR+ Ship
The keel laying ceremony for the Portuguese Navy’s first of two Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment and Logistics Support Ships (AOR+) was held at Ada Shipyard.
Defence News
Navy / Maritime
Land
Unmanned Systems
Ukraine Shows Field-Developed UGV Controlled with Steam Deck
Ukrainian forces, making use of widely available commercial components for unmanned platforms, showed a Steam Deck-controlled UGV armed with assault rifles.
Land
Investment
Bilateral Relations
Otokar to acquire Automecanica in Romania majority stake
Otokar to acquire its industrial partner Automecanica shifting from a mandatory JV model to ownership to strengthen local production execution and oversight.
Bilateral Relations
Brazilian analysis highlights Türkiye’s ITAR-free edge
Brazilian defence media says Türkiye’s non-ITAR export model is driving deeper industrial ties with Brazil and positioning Ankara as a strategic partner.
Air
Space
POLARIS to Develop a Hypersonic Test Aircraft for Germany
POLARIS Spaceplanes announced a deal with Germany’s BAAINBw to develop an experimental hypersonic aircraft for the development of reusable hypersonic platforms.
Air
Unmanned Systems
Communication
UK Explores MUM-T Capability for AH-64 Attack Helicopters
The UK intends to develop/integrate UAVs to team up with its fleet of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters by providing ISR, electronic warfare, and strike support.
Air
Indonesia Starts Receiving Rafale F4 Fighters from France
The Indonesian Air Force has started receiving its Rafale F4 multirole fighter jets from France, with the delivery of three aircraft out of 42 ordered.
Land
Weapon / Missile
Italy Receives SAMP/T NG and GRIFO Air Defence Systems
The Italian MoD announced the deliveries of the SAMP/T NG long-range air defence system and GRIFO medium-range air defence system as an upgrade from SAMP/T.
Unmanned Systems
Simulator / AI / Drill/ Software
Single-drone era ends as STM tests live swarm strike
Modern air defences have rendered single-UAV strikes insufficient, with STM’s live-fire swarm test confirming the shift toward coordinated saturation attacks.
Air
Unmanned Systems
TUSAŞ to prioritise serial production and deliveries in 2026
Demiroğlu noted that after a record year for defence aviation programmes, TUSAŞ concentrates on serial manufacturing and timely delivery instead of exports.
Land
Communication
ASELSAN to Provide IFF for NATO’s MANPADS Launchers
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded ASELSAN a three-year contract to supply NATO members with IFF Mod 5 systems for MANPADS launchers.
Country
DirectoryDefence blends supplier discovery and research
DirectoryDefence enters the defence directory market with a hybrid platform combining supplier listings and procurement data to support research workflows.
Air
Engine and Transmission
Indonesia’s KAAN debate highlights export-control trade-offs
Indonesia’s KAAN debate reflects ITAR concerns, shaped by phased delivery timelines, engine dependency and Jakarta’s broader fighter diversification strategy.
Navy / Maritime
Expo and Air Show
DIMDEX 2026: M23 Shows T-series Special Forces Submarine
Italian submarine builder known for small-sized designs, M23, displayed the T-series special forces delivery submarine alongside the C-series for Qatar.
Global Defence Trend Brief
- 09:00 US Air Force expands Collaborative Combat Aircraft testing - The US Air Force is increasing flight testing and integration work for Collaborative Combat Aircraft...
- 09:00 European defence spending increasingly targets ammunition resilience - European governments are directing additional defence funding toward ammunition production, stockpil...
- 09:00 China advances military satellite constellation deployment - China continues expanding military satellite constellations designed to enhance communications, navi...
- 09:00 Japan strengthens distributed missile force posture - Japan is expanding deployment of mobile missile units and support infrastructure across remote islan...
- 09:00 Autonomous surface vessels gain importance in fleet operations - Navies are integrating autonomous surface vessels into surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime sec...
- 09:00 Counter-drone procurement shifts toward scalable architectures - Military organisations are increasingly procuring counter-drone systems built around open architectu...
- 09:00 Hypersonic defence programmes focus on persistent target custody - Defence agencies are prioritising sensor networks capable of maintaining continuous tracking of mano...
- 09:00 AI-assisted command systems gain momentum in military planning - Armed forces are accelerating adoption of AI-assisted command-and-control systems designed to improv...
- 09:00 Collaborative autonomy emerges as key defence technology trend - Military planners increasingly view teams of autonomous systems operating cooperatively as a major f...
- 09:00 Production capacity increasingly shapes defence export competitiveness - Countries evaluating defence acquisitions are placing greater weight on supplier production capacity...
