Latvia
BlackTalon Counter-UAS System Tested at NATO BATT26 in Latvia
SPX Communication Technologies deployed BlackTalon at NATO’s BATT26 exercise in Latvia, where Allied operators tested multi-sensor counter-UAS integration.
Lithuania
Rheinmetall Wins €250M Contract for Lithuania Military Camp
Rheinmetall will build a €250 million modular military camp in Lithuania for up to 2,000 soldiers and operate it for €40 million annually.
Poland
Poland Receives First 28 K2 Tanks Under Second Contract
Poland received 28 additional K2 Black Panther tanks on August 25, raising its K2GF fleet to 208 as the $6.5 billion second contract begins deliveries.
Romania
Romania Scrambles F-16s After Drone Alert Near Moldova Border
Romania scrambled F-16 fighters and an IAR-330 SOCAT after radar detected possible drone activity near the Moldova border on August 24.
Poland
Poland Signs $2.2 Billion Piorun Missile Deal for NATO Allies
Poland signed an $2.2 billion Piorun missile framework deal covering several thousand systems for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Norway.
Estonia
Estonia Weighs Patriot, SAMP/T and David’s Sling for Air Defense
Estonia plans a September decision on long-range air defense, with Patriot, SAMP/T and David’s Sling competing for a procurement that could exceed €1 billion.
Romania
Romania Neutralizes Explosive Gerbera Drone in Black Sea
Romanian Navy EOD divers neutralized an explosive-carrying Gerbera drone fragment near Gura Portiței, the second Gerbera found off Romania on August 23.
Bulgaria
US KC-135 Tankers Leave Bulgaria’s Bezmer Air Base
Two US KC-135 tankers have left Bulgaria’s Bezmer Air Base after a deployment linked to support for US operations in the Middle East.
NATO
NATO Drone Intercepts Expose Eastern Flank Air Defense Gap
Drone shootdowns over Romania and Latvia are testing NATO air defense as the alliance seeks cheaper interceptors and faster sensor-to-shooter links.
Latvia
Denmark Deploys 800-Strong NATO Battlegroup to Latvia
More than 800 Danish troops and hundreds of vehicles have joined NATO forces in Latvia, reinforcing the alliance’s Baltic eastern flank.
Poland
Poland Expands East Shield With 29 Border Military Warehouses
Poland is expanding East Shield with 29 military warehouses and preparations for rapid minefield deployment along NATO’s eastern flank.
Weekly Briefing
CEE & SEE Defense Weekly Briefing: August 16–21, 2026
This week: a Nord Stream sabotage suspect arrested in Croatia, arson at a Ukraine-linked drone maker in Estonia, Hungary reviews a $4.2B 4iG defense deal, and a CEE-wide cyberattack wave. Plus two must-read analyses.