The cancellation of Germany’s Schwerer Transporthubschrauber/STH (Heavy-lift Helicopter) competition and its dismissal of the two US options, combined with a long-term lack of a European alternative, poses the question: is it time for a European Heavy-Lift Helicopter?
At the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Summit in Warsaw in 2016, NATO heads of state and government decided to strengthen NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) to further allow the allies to deploy limited military forces to the three Baltic countries and Poland.
According to recent forecasts, the market for military drones and sensors will grow rapidly and dynamically in the coming years. This will have a significant influence on the drone industry as well as on sensors and payloads production, including a variety of components like electro-optical and infrared detectors (EO/IR), which make up for a significant share of the sector’s growth. Furthermore, experts estimate that the total global spending on military UAV systems will reach about $98 billion in the next decade.
Recent French Armed Forces losses in the Sahel have given rise to a debate regarding France’s posture in the Sahel. France launched the “Operation Serval” in January 2013 to support the Malian government in the face of insurgencies and Tuareg separatism in the North. The so-called “Operation Barkhane” followed in August 2014, targeting jihadists in the entire Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Tchad (“G5 Sahel”).
In an increasingly inter-connected world, where communication is key, the protection of such is fundamental. By focusing part of its work on cybersecurity, Sectra is one of the many companies which take on this mission. Today, the company, whose HQ is situated in Linköping, is the main contractor for encrypted communication services for many EU countries and NATO allies, paving the way for new possibilities in the defence sector.
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