Defence news
Iron Beam: how Israel shoots down drones with lasers – within five seconds (video)
Rafael’s Iron Beam combines two lasers on one target to bring down drones within about five seconds for a few kilowatt-hours of electricity, reversing the economics of drone defence at short range.
Why the Scanias are now being armoured after all
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is fitting almost 300 Scania Gryphus trucks with a fully armoured cab. The chassis has to be reinforced for this; the trigger is drone attacks on logistics vehicles in Ukraine.
Will the new Dutch precision weapon come from an unexpected quarter? The quiet rise of Destinus
State Secretary Gijs Tuinman wants a Dutch long-range precision weapon, preferably produced at home and possibly developed within six months. Destinus, which already makes missiles for Ukraine, is coming into view.
Germany chooses a new anti-drone missile for the Skyranger — will the Netherlands follow?
The Netherlands plans 22 Rheinmetall Skyranger air defence systems with a 30mm cannon. Germany is adding an MBDA anti-drone missile to the Skyranger; for the Netherlands the missile choice is still open.
What makes the Roadrunner-M drone so interesting for the US Navy. (video)
Anduril’s jet-powered Roadrunner-M intercepts drones like a missile but can loiter, return and land vertically if unused; the Pentagon has ordered more than 500.
Royal Netherlands Army gets mobile mortars again: a powerhouse on tracks (video)
The Royal Netherlands Army is getting mobile mortars again, now on the CV90 tracked vehicle with a twin-barrel mortar. The armoured system fires up to about twelve kilometres and replaces the towed mortars.
Dutch start-up AI Armaments is working on an anti-drone weapon.
Dutch start-up AI Armaments is developing an anti-drone weapon with a 40mm launcher whose grenades explode close to the drone. The prototype goes on a Defenture VECTOR; the Ministry of Defence has not yet bought the system.
F-15EX fighter jet: why top air forces choose this powerful workhorse.
The non-stealth F-15EX combines Mach 2+ speed, long range and more than 13,000 kg of weapons with modern electronics, which is why the US and Israel pair it with stealth fighters such as the F-35.
Dutch marines get a new precision rocket system (video)
The Netherlands Marine Corps is acquiring the Hydra-70 rocket with APKWS laser guidance, allowing light vehicles to hit targets up to about seven kilometres away with precision.
Glide bombs: dangerous and cheap.
Glide bombs turn ordinary bombs into precise weapons with wing kits and satellite navigation, letting aircraft strike from 20 to 100 km away; Russia uses them almost daily in Ukraine.
Why this Dutch defence drone is now so sought-after in Europe (and Ukraine)
Dutch company DeltaQuad builds fixed-wing VTOL drones used in European defence circles and in Ukraine. The DeltaQuad EVO flies for four to four and a half hours operationally.
Germany chooses the SM-6 missile, no less than 6.5 m long. (with video)
Germany wants to be the first European country to buy the US SM-6, a 6.5-metre multi-role missile that can intercept aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in their final seconds, for its F127 frigates.
Why the X-BAT drone is the future. (video)
Shield AI’s X-BAT combines vertical take-off, stealth and long range with its Hivemind AI, so it can fly as a wingman or fight autonomously without runways; VTOL tests are planned for 2026.
The Black Hawk goes unmanned: how the S-70UAS could change the battlefield of the future.
Sikorsky’s S-70UAS turns the UH-60 Black Hawk into an autonomous or remotely piloted helicopter that can resupply, deploy drones and evacuate wounded without risking a crew.
Will this drone (partly) replace the American Apache in the future?
Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky’s Nomad family of twin-proprotor VTOL drones take off like a helicopter and cruise like an aircraft, flying autonomously with MATRIX technology for reconnaissance, light attack and logistics.
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