United States
AeroVironment Wins $464.8M US Army Laser Weapons Contract
AeroVironment will supply LOCUST X3 laser weapons to the US Army under a $464.8 million deal, expanding a defense portfolio already present in Central and Eastern Europe.
counter-UAS
Lithuania
Lithuania Fast-Tracks Drone Interceptors and New Radars
Lithuania will fast-track interceptor drones and short-range and passive radars as Vilnius builds a lower-cost defense layer against small aerial threats.
Startups
Fiducial Software Used to Intercept Russian Shahed in Ukraine
Dutch defense startup Fiducial says its autonomous drone software was used by a Ukrainian pilot to intercept a Russian Shahed in combat.
Germany
INLEAP Photonics Raises €20M for Laser Counter-Drone Systems
Germany's INLEAP Photonics has raised €20 million to scale production of its FASTLIGHT laser counter-drone systems and expand across Europe.
Analysis
Top 7 Israeli Defense-Tech Companies Expanding Into Europe
Beyond Elbit, IAI, and Rafael: seven independent, mid-size Israeli defense-tech companies building real traction in Europe, from counter-drone AI to maritime intelligence.
Germany
Germany Leads Baltic Sea NATO Drone Defense Task Force
Germany and seven Baltic Sea NATO allies plan a joint drone defense task force to accelerate threat detection and information sharing.
Poland
Polish Defence.Hub Raises PLN 8M for MACS Counter-Drone System
Polish defense technology company Defence.Hub completed a PLN 8.01 million share issue to accelerate development of its MACS counter-drone system.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria Finds Multiple Military Drones Along Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Navy teams recovered or destroyed multiple drones along the Black Sea coast as Sofia linked the incidents to fighting near Odesa and Izmail.
Analysis
The Next Air Defense Operator May Be a Private Company
Erik Prince’s Vectus is testing whether critical infrastructure can buy air defense as a managed service. Europe could become a key test for the model.
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.
Analysis
Europe Hardens Critical Infrastructure Against Drone Threats
Europe is strengthening critical infrastructure security as explosive drones expose vulnerabilities at energy sites, airports and strategic facilities.
Italy
Italy Eyes 5,031 APKWS II Kits for Eurofighter Drone Defense
Italy is evaluating 5,031 APKWS II guidance kits worth up to $364 million as a lower-cost counter-drone weapon, potentially for its Eurofighter fleet.