Airbus put an American loyal-wingman into German skies before Europe's own programs reached metal.
Top story
Kongsberg invests €45 million in Polish counter-drone manufacturing plant. Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will build a factory in northern Poland to manufacture and maintain counter-drone systems for the Polish SAN programme, investing over 200 million zlotys (approximately €45 million). The plant will create more than 100 permanent jobs once at full capacity. The announcement was made on 13 October. (Single source) Defence Blog →
The rundown
INDUSTRY — French technology conglomerate Safran has appointed Sebastian Fischer as Country Director for Germany, effective 1 October 2026. Fischer will represent Safran’s interests in Germany and coordinate relations with political institutions, authorities, and industrial partners. (Corroborated) Hartpunkt → · Europaeische Sicherheit & Technik →
SPACE — UK-based industrial and defence group CSG has acquired a 9.5% stake in Canada’s MDA Space, becoming the satellite manufacturer’s largest shareholder. The investment marks CSG’s entry into the space sector alongside its existing defence and aerospace businesses. No financial details were disclosed. (Corroborated) EDR Magazine → · Defence Industry Europe →
NAVAL — Poland and Sweden have signed formal contracts for Polish submarine crew training and the lease of Sweden’s A17-class boat HMS Södermanland, paving the way for future delivery of Saab A26 submarines to Poland. The training and interim boat will bridge the gap until Poland’s own A26s arrive. (Single source) Naval News →
PROCUREMENT — Oshkosh Defense has started building the first prototype of the Dutch Expeditionary Patrol Vehicle, a version of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle designated Kaaiman, for the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. The Netherlands ordered 150 vehicles in June 2025. No delivery date for the prototype was given. (Single source) Defence Blog →
DRONES — Turkish state defense company MKE destroyed a drone at 760 meters during a live-fire demonstration of a new 20-kilowatt fiber laser weapon developed for its TOLGA close-in air defense system. The test took place at the Ateş Serbest-2026 event near Ankara. (Single source) Defence Blog →
DRONES — Czech air defense troops from the 25th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment have test-fired a remotely operated twin machine-gun system mounted on a SVOS Mars 4×4 armored vehicle against small drones. The setup is being offered as a lower-cost counter-drone option alongside the missile-armed version already ordered by the Czech Army. (Single source) Defence Blog →
DRONES — A former Italian Navy mine warfare officer has launched Sentiq Defence, a company based in Bordighera on Italy’s Ligurian coast that will supply navies, coast guards, and port and energy operators with uncrewed surface boats, underwater surveillance sonars, remotely operated submersibles, and aerial drones. Sentiq will begin as an integrator of existing systems. (Single source) Defence Blog →
Signals
DRONES — Israeli loitering munition maker Uvision and U.S.-based Wayland Autonomy announced a collaboration to expand the sensing layer of Wayland’s Tactical CORTEX system by integrating wide-area airborne ISR and onboard processing. The partnership was disclosed at the AUSA conference in Washington. No contract or customer was named. (Single source) EDR Magazine →
By the numbers
9 events in this issue · 2/9 corroborated · €45m in stated deal values · 6/9 European · busiest beat: drones
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