NATO has published a summary of its quantum strategy, which outlines the alliance’s vision of using the technology for defense and security purposes. The military alliance’s foreign ministers approved the plan in November to ensure that the bloc is ready for quantum’s anticipated benefits and downsides. Under the strategy, the organization also seeks to be...
Tag: Europe
Airbus Secures French Contract to Deliver 42 H145 Helicopters in 2024
The French government has ordered 42 new H145 helicopters from Airbus, which will start delivering the aircraft in 2024. Under the finalized deal with the Directorate General of Armaments, the manufacturer will provide Sécurité Civile, France’s rescue and emergency response agency, with 36 units of the multi-mission helicopter. The other six H145s will be for...
GE Hitachi Wins UK Nuclear Power Development Funding for Small Modular Reactor
The U.K. Department for Energy Security & Net Zero has awarded a $42.6 million grant to GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a GE Vernova unit, under the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to support London’s goal of 24 gigawatts of nuclear power generation capacity by 2050. The FNEF has an allocation of up to $152.2 million to help...
Elbit Systems Books $109M Deal to Protect Swedish CV90 Platform
Elbit Systems has received a $109 million contract from BAE Systems Hägglunds to deploy the Iron Fist Active Protection System for a European customer’s tracked armored Combat Vehicle 90 platform. According to Elbit, the APS features low volume, weight and power requirements and offers 360-degree protection in open terrain and urban environments. Its sensor employs...
Expert: Europe Needs to Strengthen Defense Industrial Sector
The European Union needs a new operational program that will strengthen its defense industrial sector and prepare for future conflicts, according to Christian Moelling, head of the Center for Security and Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown weaknesses in Europe’s capacity to produce military goods as allies scramble...
Saab, Kongsberg Note Swedish Interest on New Missile Systems for Amphibious Battalions
Saab will look into Sweden’s request for information in early September for a military requirement to beef up its Amphibious Corps’ coastal defense capabilities, a company spokesperson told Defense News. The report said Saab has already supplied several variants of its RBS15 missile to the Swedish Navy. Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg also expressed interest in...
EU’s Airborne Electronic Warfare Capability Buildup Enters Second Phase
The European Union’s Responsive Electronic Attack for Cooperative Tasks program will enter its second phase in the next few months, Indra Sistemas, the Spanish defense contractor heading the consortium working on the project, told Defense News. The project aims to provide a design for airborne electronic attack capabilities as well as a system to protect...
Thales Shifts Expansion to Overdrive as It Seeks More Acquisitions After Three Buyouts
Thales remains open to pour capital on additional mergers and acquisitions after three new acquisitions worth about $4.3 billion, the French defense electronics group’s Chairman and CEO Patrice Caine told the Financial Times. The recent buyouts include the purchase of U.S. cybersecurity group Imperva for $ 3.6 billion in July, the largest since the 2017...
Italy Awards Nearly $1B Ariete Tank Upgrade Contract to Iveco-Oto Melara Venture
The Italian government has signed a $928.6 million deal with CIO, an Iveco and Oto Melara consortium, to upgrade its fleet of aging Ariete tanks. Under the deal, CIO will replace the battle tanks’ engines with a new version that boasts 1,500 horsepower. The ground weapon system will also get new mine protection kits, modernized turrets, software-defined radios...
Chinese Companies Pivot to R&D, Away From Copycat Strategy
Chinese companies are boosting product research and development spending to veer away from copying foreign products. According to a Nikkei Asia report, listed companies in China spent $228 billion on R&D in 2022, a figure that has more than doubled over the last five years. These firms employ a total of 3.08 million researchers and...