BLUF:
Europe needs low-cost interceptor drones to counter Russian strike drones, but fast-evolving tech means short shelf lives.
There are a range of ideas about how to solve this, including treating drones as ammunition for training purposes; European production of consumer electronics that share components with drones; stockpiling slower-evolving components and long-term contracts.
Indoor navigation is hard for autonomous drones. The German drone startup Autonomous Teaming Solutions came up with a hackathon challenge to tackle this problem for the European Defense Tech Hub. Participants had to design code that would allow a team of three drones to map out an indoor area in the shortest time.
British plans to replace destroyers with new drone-controlling ‘common combat vessels’ lack an operational design showing how the new ships will be used, naval expert Emma Salisbury told The Arsenal.
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Nicolas Bas, head of strategy and public affairs for Belgian defense industry association Agoria, has been appointed to the board of Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations, while retaining his role at Agoria.
Holly Ward has been appointed global communications advisor at Croatian drone manufacturer Orqa FPV, which she previously advised as an external contractor.
Pedro Sainz de Baranda Portela has joined Rheinmetall Expal Munitions as a sales expert in Madrid. He previously worked at Indra as a business development representative for the now-defunct Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System project, at the same time as completing an MBA at IESE Business School.
Security specialist Gary Davis has left his role as director of security governance and assurance at British defense prime Babcock, after 13 years with the company. He is now looking for a new role, particularly in the defense and civil nuclear sectors.
British drone and robotics manufacturer Autonomous Devices is looking for junior robotics developers and aerospace engineers in Milton Keynes.
Postup Solutions is developing an autonomous counter-UAS system that uses sensor fusion—including acoustic sensing, radar, and computer vision—to detect, track, and physically stop FPV drones.
The product was designed in response to requests from Ukrainian unmanned systems manufacturers.
The system focuses on providing an affordable close-range layer of protection for logistics, robotic platforms, and other mobile assets operating near the frontline. We combine passive sensing with AI-driven decision-making and a non-lethal effector, aiming to deliver high performance at a fraction of the cost of conventional counter-UAS systems.
The company is currently raising €1–1.5 million to complete product development, validate the technology in operational environments, and prepare for large-scale manufacturing together with industrial partners.
The investment will be used to accelerate R&D and achieve solid technical performance in difficult environments, build engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and establish a supply chain capable of supporting production.
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The European Parliament’s defense and research committees have agreed on their position on the forthcoming defense tech funding program AGILE, allowing final negotiations with EU member states to begin.
British former Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots accepted large sums of money to train Chinese forces, the Daily Mail reports.
The new Defense, Security and Resilience Bank endorsed by Canada will have its European headquarters in Luxembourg, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday, according to The Globe and Mail.
The German defense ministry is preparing a €580 million contract for drone unicorn Helsing to provide software for a national system linking aircraft, drones and satellites, called Combat Fighter System Nucleus, POLITICO reports.
