South Africa
A South African father-and-son engineering team has reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the world’s fastest drone using a largely 3D-printed quadcopter design. The platform reached a verified speed of 657 km/h in December 2025.
Serbia
A self-propelled multiple rocket launcher battalion from the Serbian Army Second Land Forces Brigade is conducting training on the M-18 Oganj modular rocket launcher. The program focuses on preparing professional personnel for operational use across a range of tactical scenarios.
Croatia
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is visiting Croatia on January 12 as part of an alliance tour, during which Croatian defence industry capabilities will be reviewed. A domestically built combat vessel by Shadows Nautics will be presented to Rutte and allied representatives.
Germany
Germany has awarded a €119.5 million contract for advanced Puma IFV training simulators to an industrial team led by Rheinmetall. The procurement will deliver nine fully relocatable firing and combat training systems to the Bundeswehr starting in 2027.
Poland
The EU’s EUR 150 billion SAFE financing framework offers a major boost to European rearmament but ties funding to strict delivery deadlines. With equipment required by 2030, defense manufacturers face unprecedented pressure to expand capacity and stabilize supply chains.
Germany
Israel Aerospace Industries has secured a follow-on contract valued at approximately $3.1 billion to expand Germany’s procurement of the Arrow 3 missile defense system. The agreement forms part of a broader bilateral program whose total value is expected to exceed $6.5 billion.
Croatia
Croatia has assumed full responsibility for the surveillance and protection of its national airspace following the operational activation of its Rafale fighter fleet.
Latvia
British defense firm Babcock has partnered with Latvia-based Frankenburg Technologies to explore a new, low-cost maritime counter-drone capability. The effort focuses on countering one-way attack drones using a containerized launcher and affordable interceptors designed for scalable production.
Latvia
SEB Bank has provided €250,000 in working capital financing to Latvian defence startup Natrix, supporting production and contract execution of its modular unmanned ground vehicle designed for military logistics and evacuation missions.
Lithuania
Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence has allocated €24.2 million for the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union in 2026, supporting expanded civil resistance training, new equipment procurement, and deeper integration with the armed forces.
Latvia
Latvia has begun construction of a 155 mm modular propellant charge factory in the forests of Iecava, designed to produce up to 50,000 charges annually for domestic use and NATO partners, with operations set to begin in Q3.
Germany
Rheinmetall and MBDA plan to form a joint private limited company in early 2026 to develop naval laser weapon systems, building on a demonstrator that has completed extensive sea and land-based testing against drone and agile aerial threats.
