Following a defence ministry request to purchase ammunition worth 152 million euros from Israel’s state-run Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition sealed a deal to arm German drones.
On 25 March, Airbus Defence and Space has finally unveiled that the Italian Avio Aero will be the company that will power the Eurodrone aerial system with a new twin-turboprop propulsion engine. After years of negotiations about the project and following a competitive tender process, the European Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems – MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) sees a step forward in its construction.
In a tweet on 24 March, Estonia’s Defence Ministry Kalle Laanet announced that Estonia will increase its military spending to €476 million. The more significant part of this budget will be destined to buy short-to mid-range air defence systems, which Estonia hopes to acquire no later than 2025 and estimates the acquisition would be worth about €350 million.
Space control is becoming increasingly important. What until now has been one of the most peaceful areas of international collaboration, despite the fierce competition for technological progress, is beginning to become an area of conflict. The consequences of the events in Ukraine, and the sanctions imposed in response to them, are also having repercussions in this field.
In the last decades, drones have become quite famous: they can be seen doing a wide variety of actions, from taking spectacular aerial photographs and high-definition videos to counter-terrorism missions. Drones’ low procurement cost, according to the United Nations (UN), is facilitating their quick proliferation. Their compact size and precise skills make them more likely to be weaponised and deployed surreptitiously by state and non-state actors in violation of transparency and accountability rules.
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