Britain just gave Ukraine the means to build Storm Shadow at home. That's a bigger shift than sending missiles.
Top story
Royal Netherlands Navy picks Destinus Hornet B2 kinetic interceptor for fleet C-UAS. The Royal Netherlands Navy has signed a concept-development and experimentation contract with Destinus to integrate the Hornet B2 kinetic counter-UAS interceptor onto naval vessels by Q2 2027. The Hornet B2 is a turbojet-powered kinetic interceptor developed by Destinus in partnership with Danish firms CUBEDIN and OMT Group. The Dutch MoD aims to field the system across its fleet to counter low-cost drone threats. Why it matters: The Dutch fleet’s adoption of a kinetic drone-killer – rather than directed-energy or expensive missiles – reflects a European bet that expendable chase-down interceptors can beat the cost curve on mass swarm threats. (Corroborated) Defense News → · C4ISRNET → · Naval News →
The rundown
DRONES — Finnish defence firm Patria has signed a partnership with Ukrainian drone manufacturer General Cherry to jointly develop drones and establish production in Finland. The agreement follows earlier Finnish-Ukrainian co-production deals and is part of Patria’s push to expand its unmanned portfolio. General Cherry is a combat-proven Ukrainian manufacturer with operational experience in electronic warfare-dense environments. (Corroborated) Defense News → · C4ISRNET →
DRONES — Saab displayed an A3-001 collaborative combat aircraft mock-up at a Swedish event, describing it as a concept for the 2030s. The company says the A3 could enter service within ten years if the Swedish government proceeds. Two earlier demonstrators, A1 and A2, are scheduled to fly before the end of the decade. The A3 is envisioned as a production-representative loyal wingman for Gripen E. (Single source) Breaking Defense → · Shephard Media →
MUNITIONS — Germany is developing a new long-range strike capability with a planned investment of €12 billion, according to Defence24. The arsenal will include missiles capable of hitting command centres, airfields, launchers, and supply hubs hundreds or thousands of kilometres behind a potential front line. No specific systems or timelines have been announced. (Single source) Defence24 →
INDUSTRY — Deutz AG shareholders approved a capital increase against contributions in kind with a 99.7% vote at an extraordinary general meeting on Aug. 24, 2026. The measure will partially finance Deutz’s €1.6 billion acquisition of Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG), a manufacturer of military and commercial wheeled vehicles. The deal was cleared by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office in July 2026. (Corroborated) Hartpunkt → · Soldat & Technik →
PROCUREMENT — Austria’s Bundesheer has taken delivery of the first upgraded Leopard 2 main battle tanks and Ulan infantry fighting vehicles under a modernisation contract with KNDS Deutschland. The upgrades were pursued as a budget-constrained alternative to new vehicle procurement. No quantities or contract value were disclosed. (Single source) Hartpunkt →
INDUSTRY — US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has established an Office of the Defense Industrial Base and appointed Andrew Magliochetti as deputy assistant secretary. The new office is tasked with coordinating Navy industrial-base policy, including procurement bottlenecks, supply-chain resilience, and critical-minerals sourcing. The move follows sustained production delays in missile and ship programmes. (Corroborated) DefenseScoop →
INDUSTRY — A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III with callsign REACH4555 flew from Riga, Latvia, to Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on the morning of Aug. 25, 2026, landing at approximately 10:04 a.m. Moscow time. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed the routing. Neither US nor Russian authorities have issued a public statement explaining the flight. (Single source) Defence Blog →
Signals
SPACE — Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the launch of a classified military satellite aboard a Soyuz-2-1b rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 05:40 Moscow time on Aug. 24, 2026. The launch followed Ukrainian drone strikes in the Arkhangelsk region on Aug. 23, which appeared aimed at disrupting the mission. Russian officials said the satellite reached orbit successfully. (Single source) Defence Blog →
By the numbers
9 events in this issue · 4/9 corroborated · €13.6bn in stated deal values · 6/9 European · busiest beat: industry
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