Defence news
AI Armaments leads unique collaboration: fully Dutch system to take out drones (video)
AI Armaments has built an anti-drone weapon on Defenture’s VECTOR 4x4 with a radar from Robin Radar Systems. It is a fully Dutch system; the Ministry of Defence has not yet placed an order.
The Sting drone: how a 3D-printed drone dominates the skies over Ukraine (video)
Volunteer group Wild Hornets developed the Sting, a largely 3D-printed interceptor drone that reaches around 315 km/h and hunts Russian attack drones for just a few thousand dollars each.
YKJ-1000: the cheap Chinese hypersonic missile
Chinese start-up Lingkong Tianxing claims its YKJ-1000 boost-glide missile reaches Mach 5–7 and 500–1,300 km range at low cost, raising fears of mass-produced hypersonic weapons — though independent verification is lacking.
Super-fast new boat for Dutch marines: 65 km/h at sea and ready for the future
The Netherlands Marine Corps is getting new fast landing craft from Finland’s Alutech, derived from the Watercat M12. The boats reach 35 knots, about 65 kilometres per hour, using waterjet propulsion.
China’s Type 055: Asia’s most powerful warship and a harbinger of a new maritime power struggle
With 112 launch cells and at least eight ships in service, China’s 13,000-tonne Type 055 destroyer underlines how fast Beijing is building a blue-water navy while US shipbuilding stalls.
Why the Israeli laser system (Iron Beam) is so special (video)
Rafael and Elbit’s 100 kW Iron Beam laser is ready for operational use, intercepting drones, mortars and rockets for a few dollars per shot, though weather and range remain limits.
Germany sets up attack drone units: these 12,000 drones are being acquired. (Video)
Germany is creating dedicated attack drone units and buying 12,000 drones from Helsing (HX-2), Stark Defense (Virtus) and Rheinmetall (FV-104), applying lessons from Ukraine.
Germany wants the American Typhon missile system: this is why that is so special. (Video)
Germany has asked for the US Typhon mobile launcher, which fires Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles from land with a range of up to around 2,000 km, as a bridge until European long-range systems arrive.
Stratus: Britain and France choose next-generation home-grown missiles. (Video)
Through MBDA’s STRATUS programme, the UK, France and Italy are developing a family of two missiles — one stealthy, one supersonic and highly agile — to succeed Storm Shadow and current anti-ship missiles.
NOMADS: why the Netherlands is choosing a unique air defence vehicle that moves with the troops.
The Netherlands is acquiring NOMADS, an air defence system on an armoured tracked vehicle that can go to the front with its own troops. It protects units against drones, helicopters and cruise missiles.
PULS system gives the Royal Netherlands Army ballistic missile capability for the first time (Video)
With the Predator Hawk missile for the PULS system, the Royal Netherlands Army gets a ballistic missile for the first time. The supersonic precision missile has a range of 300 kilometres.
Japan tests futuristic railgun with speeds of up to 8,000 km per hour. (Video)
Japan has become the first country to successfully test a railgun at sea, hitting a moving target from the test ship JS Asuka at more than 8,000 km/h and firing over 120 shots without visible barrel damage.
The Netherlands buys Harop drones: what does this mean for the navy? (Video)
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s new support vessels can carry container systems on deck, including Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions. The Harop can hunt radars and has a range of almost 1,000 kilometres.
The Barak-ER: the Israeli missile that gives the Dutch navy more options. (Video)
The Israeli Barak-ER air defence missile is coming to the Royal Netherlands Navy’s new support vessels. It has a range of up to 150 kilometres and can also intercept tactical ballistic missiles.
Why the Dutch navy’s new support vessels provide much more striking power.
Damen is building two support vessels for the Royal Netherlands Navy that can carry containers with air defence, long-range munitions and electronic warfare equipment. They enter service in 2026.
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