$23 billion for Tomahawks, Twinvis passive radar in Skymaster, and Denmark's C2 alliance
Top story
US pours $23 billion into Arsenal of Freedom for missile production surge. The Pentagon has committed $22.9 billion to Tomahawk cruise missile production and is accelerating manufacture of SM-3 and PAC-3 interceptors under the Arsenal of Freedom initiative. The funding responds to demand from the Iran campaign and Ukraine requirements. This is a second major tranche into the program, following earlier commitments to surge industrial base capacity. Why it matters: A $23 billion one-line item for Tomahawks signals the scale of US expenditure on protracted conflict—and the degree to which European allies’ own stocks and production plans will continue to trail American output for years. (Single source) Shephard Media →
The rundown
PROCUREMENT — Thales and Danish software house Systematic have formed a strategic partnership to offer command-and-control architecture for Denmark’s layered air-defense network. The alliance was announced at the DALO industry days hosted by Denmark’s defence acquisition agency. Multi-layer air defense requires integrated C2 to manage different radar types and interceptor systems effectively. (Single source) Opex360 →
EW — Rheinmetall and Hensoldt successfully integrated Hensoldt’s Twinvis passive radar into Rheinmetall’s Skymaster air-defense command-and-control system during the German Air Force’s Timber Express 2026 exercise. The passive radar’s air picture fed directly into Skymaster’s fire-control loop. Both companies describe the milestone as a step toward networked layered air defense. (Single source) Hartpunkt →
DRONES — The US Air Force is seeking a new family of expendable aerial target drones capable of replicating threats ranging from stealth fighters to UAV swarms. The service says existing target systems have fallen behind rapidly evolving global threats. A separate report notes the Air Force has completed prototype evaluations of a portable command-and-control system, the C2E, designed to control Collaborative Combat Aircraft from austere locations. (Corroborated) The War Zone → · Defence Blog →
EW — Army signal officers recently returned from advisory roles with Security Assistance Group-Ukraine in Germany report that the service still clings to a permissive electromagnetic spectrum posture inherited from the Global War on Terror. The officers served in support roles for Ukraine’s defense forces and observed contested-spectrum operations first-hand. (Single source) DefenseScoop →
INDUSTRY — Airbus Helicopters and Denmark’s Terma have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening Danish defense capabilities. No details on specific platforms or programs were disclosed in the announcement. (Single source) EDR Magazine →
INDUSTRY — Sweden’s Flexotrap and Finland’s Millog have signed agreements establishing expanded commercial and industrial cooperation across Nordic and Baltic markets. Flexotrap specializes in force-protection and survivability systems; Millog provides defense logistics and life-cycle services. (Single source) EDR Magazine →
PROCUREMENT — The NATO Support and Procurement Agency has launched a new phase of the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project, involving France, Italy, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands. The initiative, begun in 2020, aims to prepare the replacement of current medium-lift helicopters such as the NH90 Caïman. The project is designed to define requirements and technologies for a next-generation rotorcraft entering service in the 2030s. (Single source) Opex360 →
Signals
PROCUREMENT — Bulgaria will not receive its last eight F-16 Block 70 Viper fighters before 2030, according to French defense outlet Opex360. Bulgaria ordered sixteen F-16s in two batches; the delay leaves the Bulgarian Air Force struggling to maintain its ageing MiG-29 fleet, whose sustainment has become severely complicated since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (Single source) Opex360 →
By the numbers
9 events in this issue · 1/9 corroborated · 8/9 European · busiest beat: procurement
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