DEFENSE

WARSAW, Poland — The Romanian Ministry of National Defence has requested the parliament’s approval for the purchase of 32 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, according to Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr. The planned procurement is estimated to be worth about $6.5 billion. In an interview with local broadcaster Antena 3, Tîlvăr said his ministry is “taking […]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand plans to create another intelligence agency to help the government more rapidly react to and better coordinate its response to security threats. The Royal Commission, charged with looking into the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, recommended the formation of a new agency in its report presented to Parliament in

ROME — As Italy gets down to work with Japan on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with the aim of building a new sixth-generation fighter by 2035, it has boosted defense ties with Tokyo by dispatching F-35s for a first-ever training exercise in Japan. Four Italian Air Force F-35As arrived at Komatsu air base

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army will grow its Patriot air and missile defense force structure, the head of Space and Missile Defense Command told reporters in an Aug. 8 briefing. “The Army senior leaders — from the secretary [to] the chief — they recognize the demands on the Patriot force,” Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has released three defense and national security documents outlining prevailing challenges, principals for its military and ways to improve the force. Defence Minister Andrew Little on Aug. 4 presented to lawmakers a 36-page “Defence Policy and Strategy Statement,” a 12-page “Future Force Design Principles” document and an inaugural 44-page

MILAN — Drone tactics emerging from the war in Ukraine have inspired other European countries to intensify their military-experimentation campaigns, with a new crop of testing facilities designed to test the small aircraft in war-like conditions. Estonia inaugurated its first drone training center, located in the western part of the Baltic country, last week. The

MILAN — India and France have signed a major deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale fighter jets to equip the Indian Navy, which will become the first international user of the naval variant, underscoring the strategic relationship between the two countries. The agreement follows India’s initial selection of the Rafale Marine in July 2023

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Global military spending surged to an unprecedented $2.72 trillion in 2024, jumping 9.4% from the previous year and marking the steepest annual increase since the end of the Cold War. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported the stark increase in its highly anticipated annual report, which was released on Monday.

PARIS — France detonated a naval explosive drone against a decommissioned cargo vessel at sea, the latest in a string of live-fire experiments as the French Navy seeks to prepare its ships and crews for high-intensity combat in what the government here calls an increasingly unstable international context. The test explosion on April 26 will

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Following a fatal crash in January, India’s entire fleet of Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters – ALH for short – remains grounded, but the military has allowed some to fly after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 23. The Indian Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard rely heavily

ISTANBUL — Turkey and Greece have concluded a fresh round of talks in Thessaloniki, Greece, as part of the 2025 implementation of bilateral military confidence-building measures (CBMs), aiming to ease longstanding tensions between the two NATO members. The delegations – comprising senior diplomats, military officers, and defense officials – reviewed ongoing CBMs agreed in previous

PARIS — Denmark will invest about 4 billion Danish kroner (US$615 million) through 2033 in the country’s Navy and Home Guard fleets, aiming to improve surveillance and defense of the country’s home waters, the government said. The plans include the acquisition of four multifunctional environmental-protection and minelaying vessels, a ship with drones and sonar systems