AdriaDefense Desk is the editorial team behind AdriaDefense.com. Desk reports cover defense industry, procurement, and security developments across CEE & SEE.
European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency has selected five companies for the final stage of its Sentinel Strike Challenge, with operational testing scheduled in Portugal during OPEX26 before winners are announced in 2027.
Czech Republic
CSG has launched the MAIA digital airspace management platform through Czech subsidiary UpVision, expanding its aerospace software portfolio as Europe accelerates U-space implementation for drone traffic management.
Explainer
Five EU defense funding instruments now total over 250 billion euros. Here is who can actually access EDF, EDIP, SAFE, and AGILE, and what changes for companies outside the EU.
Romania
Romanian technology company OVES Enterprise and Ukraine's EDRONE will jointly manufacture military drones in Cluj-Napoca, creating an initial production capacity of 1,000 systems per month with plans for significant expansion.
Finnish construction company YIT has secured a contract valued at approximately €30 million to build a Leopard 2A8 assembly and maintenance facility in Lithuania. The project will expand the country's defense industrial infrastructure and support the long term sustainment of its future tank fleet.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria's Ministry of Defence is assessing second hand fighter aircraft as it seeks to maintain air policing capabilities while awaiting the arrival and operational readiness of its remaining F-16 Block 70 fleet. No procurement decision has been made.
Defence Hub CzechInvest has become a member of the European Defence Alliance through Bpifrance and its EuroQuity matchmaking platform. The partnership expands access for Czech defense startups and SMEs to investors, European industrial partners, and cross-border collaboration opportunities.
Ukraine
Ukrainian defense technology company General Chereshnya has received a government license to participate in Ukraine's private air defense initiative. The move enables the company to provide integrated air defense capabilities for businesses and critical infrastructure.
Lithuania
Lithuanian body armor manufacturer KOVO Armor has been selected to supply ballistic plates to security services provider Ekskomisarų Biuras. The agreement highlights growing demand for domestically produced protective equipment among Lithuania's security sector.
Latvia
XTEND has completed the integration of Latvian robotics company Atlas, expanding its European manufacturing footprint and XOS robotics ecosystem. The company said the move strengthens its ability to support NATO and EU customers through regional production and engineering capabilities.
Croatia
Croatian drone manufacturer Orqa expects to reach an annual manufacturing capacity of 500,000 drones and components by the end of the year while expanding its FPV training activities across several European armed forces.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian defense manufacturer Binas remained profitable in the first half of 2026 despite a decline in revenue and earnings compared with the same period last year. The results mark the company's first significant slowdown after several years of rapid growth.