WASHINGTON — U.S. military power was weaker this year than the year prior, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that each year analyzes the strength of the armed forces and the threats to America. The “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength” focuses on the need for readiness in not one, but two wars — or “ma

ROME — Shipbuilders from France, Italy and Spain have announced the creation of a consortium to ramp up design work on a new European corvette and coordinate cooperation on the program with dozens of firms around the continent. Touted as a poster child for European defense industry integration, the European Patrol Corvette program was handed €60 mi

WARSAW, Poland — The Lithuanian government has decided to allocate additional funds for the country’s Defence Ministry this year, paving the way for the purchase of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, Oshkosh joint light tactical vehicles (JLTVs) and Switchblade drones from the United States. In response to Russia’s invasion of its n

STUTTGART, Germany — Propelled by an edict to make deep investments in its defense industrial base, France’s Ministry of Defense has unveiled a 2023 budget worth billions more than the previous year to launch a new “war economy.” The proposed €43.9 billion ($42.8 billion) for the French military represents a 36% increase over the 2017 budget and a

Sweden and Denmark on Tuesday said blasts on two Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea were acts of sabotage, although neither country was ready to identify the culprit. "It is the authorities' assessment that these are deliberate actions. It is not an accident," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday, ha

The Army is dispatching two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Latvia for the country’s national combat readiness exercises, according to a statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Approximately a dozen personnel will be deployed with the rocket systems to the exercise, called Namejs 2022. U.S. soldiers are practicing rapidly deploying lo

AUSTIN, Texas — Mobility tactics, advanced technology and a workshop mentality for fixing battlefield problems all point to Ukrainian success fighting the Russian invasion. But sustained success in the shadow of a mass Russian military mobilization announced Wednesday means Ukrainian forces need more and better training, arms and ammunition, especi

WASHINGTON — As Ukrainian forces battle back a stalling Russian invasion, government officials hailing from Kyiv told a conference in Washington, D.C., that they are eyeing a future defined by digital innovation, defense know-how and high-tech investments. “We want not only to fight, but also to continue our development, our digital transformation,

KIELCE, Poland — Ukraine’s defense industry is observing a spike in demand from foreign customers interested in securing weapons proven in combat against Russia’s invasion, according to representatives of leading Ukrainian defense group Ukroboronprom. “Our Skif man-portable, anti-tank missile system has already been exported to 10 countries around

KIELCE, Poland — Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has awarded a contract worth more than 3.8 billion zloty ($800 million) to buy 48 Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzers and related gear from local company Huta Stalowa Wola, a subsidiary of the country’s defense giant PGZ. The deal was signed on Sept. 5, one day before the annual MSPO defense in

WASHINGTON — The Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing fight in Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding. A U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence determination, said Monday that the f

ROME — Italy has hiked defense spending again as it showers cash on the Tempest fighter program in 2022 and radically upgrades its forecast for its total spending on the sixth-generation program. The newly released 2022 budget includes €18 billion (U.S. $18.4 billion) in defense ministry spending, up from the €16.8 billion spent in 2021, which was

WARSAW, Poland — Latvia has sent a letter of request to buy an undisclosed number of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems from the United States, with the potential acquisition to be carried out as a joint initiative of the three Baltic states, which also include neighboring Estonia and Lithuania. “The MoD has sent a letter of request to the U.S.

STUTTGART, Germany — The European Union revealed last week the awardees of its first batch of European Defence Fund (EDF)-supported projects, reflecting a cumulative €1.2 billion (U.S. $1.23 billion) going to 61 defense research and development projects. For its initial EDF cycle, the European Commission received over 140 proposals. Applicants were

Moscow said on Sunday that Russian air strikes on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa were aimed at military targets including a stockpile of U.S.-supplied missiles. The attack on Saturday raised doubts over Moscow's willingness to abide by a crucial agreement reached on Friday to unblock Ukraine’s seaports to allow for the transport of millions of to