DEFENSE NEWS

News that F-35s were headed to the Caribbean to help take on the cartels was surprising to many, but Operation Coronet Nighthawk did exactly this for years. With F-35s deploying to Puerto Rico and tensions with Venezuela raised, we look back at previous counter-narcotics missions by Air Force fighters.

Si en France, le parcours d'Anastasia Fomitchova semble atypique, en Ukraine, il reflète la détermination de dizaines de milliers de civils que rien ne desti

In the headlines after approaching a U.S. Navy destroyer, the story of the Venezuelan Vipers is one of survival against the odds. In the headlines once again, the story of the Venezuelan Vipers is one of survival against the odds.

The C-17’s mismatched under-fuselage sponsons put it in an exotic category of asymmetric fixed-wing aircraft designs. The C-17’s mismatched under-fuselage sponsons put it in an exotic category of asymmetric fixed-wing aircraft designs.

General Dynamics Land Systems UK (GDLS UK) and Lockheed Martin UK unveiled an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) version of the Ajax armoured vehicle on the first da

BAE Systems is assessing a range of weapon systems that could be carried by the Eurofighter Typhoon for the counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) role, th

À la base aéronavale de Lann-Bihoué, à Plœmeur (Morbihan), la première séance d’appontages simulés de l’année devrait se terminer en fin de cette s

Le 9 septembre, l’AAROK, le prototype de drone de Moyenne Altitude Longue Endurance (MALE) de Turgis Gaillard, a réalisé son premier vol avec succès depuis l’aérodrome de Blois-Le Breuil.

Ce drone de grande taille (5,5 tonnes de masse maximale au décollage, 1,5 tonne d’armement et 1 200 chevaux de son moteur) est capable de réaliser des missions de renseignement-surveillance-reconnaissance et des missions de frappe.

« Ce nouveau jalon démontre la progression du programme, essentiel pour répondre aux besoins des armées françaises et alliés. Le vol d’aujourd’hui est une étape décisive dans le développement du AAROK« , s’est félicitée Fanny Turgis, présidente de Turgis Gaillard. « Il vient couronner quatre ans d’efforts importants pour donner naissance au premier drone MALE européen ».
Photo Turgis Gaillard

Tous les collaborateurs de Turgis Gaillard sont maintenant engagés dans la réalisation du programme d’essai, déterminés à mettre aussi rapidement que possible l’AAROK à disposition des armées françaises et de leurs alliés. Des vols sont de nouveau prévus d’ici à la fin de cette année, avant que l’AAROK ne soit lâché en configuration drones au premier semestre 2026.

At DSEI 2025, Singapore’s ST Engineering unveiled their Light Reconnaissance Strike concept.

Le ministre slovaque des Affaires étrangères minimise les incursions de drones russes en Pologne, ce qui suscite l'indignation de l'opinion publique et alimente de nouveaux appels à des manifestations antigouvernementales massives.

Catch the wave Dr Thomas Withington European military networking has taken an important step forward with the realisation of the ESSOR suite of waveforms, some, or all, of which look likely to be adopted throughout NATO in the coming years. Land forces fighting together in a coalition have, in recent times, often struggled to talk to their counterparts. For example, a Canadian Army brigade might struggle to communicate with elements from the Heer (German Army). Should land formations need to communicate directly, voice and data traffic has often flowed upwards to reach the joint command, flowing back downwards to its intended recipients. The reason for this is comparatively simple: Land forces have lacked common, interoperable, tactical communications waveforms they can use for interforce connectivity. Intra-force communications, where individual armies network between formations, echelons and combat arms, have been comparatively easy. Several NATO member countries employ tailored tactical waveforms to meet their specific operational needs. For instance, the French Army (Armée de Terre) uses the Geomux high-data-rate waveform with Thales’ PR4G family of radios. The US Army and US Marine Corps, meanwhile, operate a wide range of tactical communication waveforms suited to their respective missions. The Army’s TSM waveform carries secure high-data-rate voice and data traffic for instance. A common inter-force waveform was developed in the 1980s to equip the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), a revolutionary family of tactical radios and waveforms intended to provide secure and robust inter-force communications. It was adopted by the US Army and other NATO land forces. Nonetheless, some exceptions to this dearth of inter-force connectivity do exist: NATO’s HAVEQUICK-I/II waveform is intended for Alliance-wide air-to-surface/surface-to-air and air-to-air communications. HAVEQUICK-I/II is a frequency-hopping waveform using a very/ultra-high frequency (UHF) waveband of 225 MHz to 400 MHz. The waveform is installed on US-supplied radios as it is covered by the US’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The majority of NATO’s land forces have tactical radios provided by US suppliers such as L3Harris. These ITAR-controlled radios contain the HAVEQUICK-I/II waveform. The intrinsic interoperability of HAVEQUICK-I/II makes sense. A Hellenic Army Joint Terminal Air Controller (JTAC) might be coordinating a close air support (CAS) mission with a Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian Air Force) F-16 series combat aircraft. It is imperative that both the JTAC, and the Norwegian pilot, can use a common, robust and secure waveform to manage a task as complex as CAS. Filename: SINCGARS (US Army) Caption: The advent of the SINCGARS radio in the 1990s was a major step forward in fostering intra-force connectivity in the US Army, and elsewhere in NATO. However, inter-force networking for land formations has, until now, remained elusive. [US Army] European nations have fought in coalitions in scores of operations since the end of the Cold War. NATO efforts in the Balkans and Libya were primarily focused on air campaigns, though this was not the case in Afghanistan. There, Alliance and Allied nations deployed significant land power. Two realities highlight the imperative that European nations need robust and effective interforce communications: The first is the continent’s strategic situation. Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and full-scale invasion eight years later, has shown that Moscow’s territorial ambitions remain the greatest threat to Europe since the Cold War. Short of a complete Russian defeat in Ukraine, and her full expulsion from the territory of Ukraine, the threat posed by the muscular strategic posture of President Putin’s government is unlikely to diminish. Any invasion of NATO will see European Alliance members fighting to push the aggressor back behind its borders. It is noteworthy that several European nations already comprise eight NATO battlegroups deployed in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Multi-domain operations Alongside Europe’s strategic reality, NATO’s membership writ large is embracing the multi-domain operations (MDO) mindset. The Alliance defines MDO as “the push for NATO to orchestrate military activities across all operating domains and environments. These actions are synchronised with non-military activities and enable the Alliance to create desired outcomes at the right time and place.” MDO can also be defined as the full inter- and intra-force connectivity of all military assets within and beyond one or several theatres of operations to enable synchronous operations at all levels of war across all domains. The goal of MDO is to facilitate faster, and better quality, decision-making than one’s adversary. The logic underpinning this decision-making improvement is to ensure that blue forces remain continuously proactive. Conversely, red forces will be compelled to be continually reactive. MDO theory holds that this proactive/reactive paradigm should be a precondition for blue force victory. Enter ESSOR This apparent lack of a common, secure inter-force networking waveform has concentrated minds within the European defence community and prompted the development of such a capability. Work began in 2009 on an initiative known as the European Secure Software Defined Radio (ESSOR) waveform. Prophetically, ESSOR began before the full breakdown in relations between Russia and NATO, but the effort has proven prescient. The goal foreseen for ESSOR was to develop a secure networking waveform that can be installed in a host of different tactical radios used by different nations. The ESSOR programme is managed by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en Matière d'Armement/Joint Organisation for Armaments Cooperation), a European supranational institution which manages collaborative defence programmes across the continent. The waveform is being developed by six companies in a consortium called A4ESSOR namely Bittium, Indra, Leonardo, Radmor, Rohde & Schwarz, and Thales. The armed forces of France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain are slated to receive ESSOR waveforms. Funding for ESSOR is secured from member nations and OCCAR itself. Filename: Finland ESSOR (Bittium) Caption: Finland’s land forces, alongside those of France, are now thought to be using the ESSOR high-data-rate waveform operationally. Other armies are expected to implement ESSOR in their tactical communications in the coming years. [Bittium] Alongside OCCAR, the ESSOR initiative is supported via a European Defence Agency (EDA) Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project. PESCO was established in December 2017 under Article 42(6) of the Lisbon Treaty—introduced in the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon—to deepen defence cooperation among EU member states. The Lisbon Treaty essentially forms the EU’s constitutional basis, and lets the Union sign treaties and join international organisations as an entity. As such, PESCO projects are intended to help EU member states develop common defence capabilities collaboratively by pooling financial and intellectual capital. The ESSOR PESCO was one of the original tranches of 17 projects adopted by the European Council in March 2018. The ESSOR effort is developing four specific waveforms that can be installed across a wide array of tactical radios, airborne transceivers and satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals. Land forces are set to use the high-data-rate waveform (HDRWF) and narrowband waveform (NBWF). Both the HDRWF and NBWF will primarily be employed for surface-to-surface communications carrying voice and data traffic. The three-dimensional waveform (3DWF) is designed for air-to-air and air-to-surface/surface-to-air traffic. Finally, the SATCOM waveform supports over-the-horizon space-based communications. Both the Finnish and French militaries are using the HDRWF operationally, ESSOR programme sources have disclosed. Moreover, both the Croatian and Irish militaries will receive the waveform by virtue of recent tactical radio acquisitions they made from Bittium and Thales respectively. The HDRWF uses frequencies of 225 MHz to 400 MHz handling up to 1 Mbps of data with up to 200 individual radios being hosted on each HDRWF network. The NBWF uses similar V/UHF frequencies to the HDRWF, with the addition of a 30 MHz to 88 MHz VHF waveband. This waveform handles data at kilobits-per-second rates and each NBWF network hosts up to 60 users. Data rates for the 3DWF are dynamic, adjusting to prevailing electromagnetic conditions, with each network capable of hosting up to 32 users. Like all ESSOR waveforms, it incorporates robust communication and transmission security protocols. ESSOR for NATO To date, the ESSOR programme has primarily been a European effort, rather than a NATO-wide initiative, led by OCCAR. Nonetheless, the situation is changing. In 2023, the HDRWF’s specifications were formally enshrined in NATO’s STANAG-5651. By enshrining the waveform’s design criteria in this STANAG, tactical radio developers have a blueprint on the software characteristics. This is essential if their wares will need to accommodate this waveform. The HDRWF’s incorporation into STANAG 5651 goes a long way to answer a longstanding NATO requirement for a wideband coalition waveform. NATO launched the Coalition Wideband Networking Waveform (COALWNW) initiative in 2009, coincidentally the same year that ESSOR got underway. COALWNW had many similar aspirations to ESSOR: It was to provide a wideband waveform that could expand and deepen multinational networking for land forces. However, COALWNW’s development proceeded at a glacial pace for many years, and the initiative is now considered all but ended, according to NATO sources. ESSOR’s adoption into STANAG-5651 effectively sees this waveform satisfy the COALWNW requirement. Filename: Thales Radios for Ireland (Thales) Caption: New tactical radios being supplied by Thales to equip Ireland’s military will comprise the ESSOR HDRWF, which will significantly improve intra- as well as inter-force networking. [Thales] In fact, the adoption of ESSOR by countries such as Ireland show that the waveform will help inter-force networking both within and beyond NATO’s militaries. Although not an EU member state, the United Kingdom is a member of OCCAR. Like other NATO members, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) sees the importance of the realisation of a wideband, coalition networking waveform. Although the MOD is yet to formally join ESSOR, there is substantial interest in the project. There may also be added urgency for the UK to participate in the initiative given that COALWNW is now all but dead. The UK has two choices in that she could join the programme as an industrial partner. This was the route Germany took in February 2020 which also saw Rohde & Schwarz join A4ESSOR as an industrial participant. Alternatively, the MOD could remain outside the programme but add the waveforms to UK military radios as and when they become available. This could be done via the NATO STANAGs discussed in this article. Likewise, the UK could simply have the waveforms preloaded into the future tactical radios the MOD acquires. This has been the approach that nations like Ireland and Croatia have taken. Interestingly, other ESSOR waveforms in development maybe adopted in other NATO communications STANAGs potentially increasing the adoption of the overarching programme’s output in other areas. NATO has, for all intents and purposes, satisfied its COALWNW requirement with HDRWF. Nevertheless, the Alliance is looking for a narrowband waveform to foster inter-force networking across land forces. Unsurprisingly, the NBWF appears to be in the offing to meet this demand. ESSOR officials are hopeful that the NBWF’s specifications will be enshrined in the second edition of NATO’s STANAG 5630, which covers narrowband waveforms for V/UHF radios. Likewise, 3DWF specifications could be enshrined in the fourth edition of NATO’s STANAG-4372, which covers NATO’s Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) waveform specifications. It is possible that the 3DWF’s architecture could form the basis to support SATURN’s surface-to-air/air-to-surface networking requirements. Finally, SATWF’s specifications may yet be incorporated into STANAG-4681 which concerns the realisation of an integrated waveform to foster digital interoperability between UHF SATCOM terminals. Sources close to the ESSOR initiative have shared with the author that the first edition of STANAG-5630, which covers fixed frequency waveforms, has now been ratified by NATO. The second edition covering frequency-hopping waveforms is expected to be finalised in early 2026. Once the STANAG is finalised, it will then commence the process of NATO ratification. When ratified, NATO members will be able to use STANAG-5630’s specifications to guide their realisation of NBWF-compatible waveforms. The sources continued that, for now, the emphasis is on completing the full ratification of STANAG-5630 and 5651. Filename: German ESSOR (Rohde & Schwarz) Caption: Although a comparatively late entrant to the ESSOR programme, Germany is an active participant and the waveforms emanating from the initiative will be ported into that nation’s current and future tactical communications. [Rohde & Schwarz] Outlook It is entirely possible that the suite of four ESSOR waveforms are precisely the right thing at the right time. The onward march of MDO has underscored the need to significantly deepen intra- and inter-force connectivity. At the same time, the tense strategic situation in Europe today highlights the necessity for the continent’s Allied forces to have unprecedented levels of deep, survivable networking. The work of ESSOR helps to answer those requirements. Meanwhile, initiatives like the HDRWF may answer existing desires within NATO for wideband coalition networking waveforms. Thus, the ratification of STANAG-5651 enshrining the HDRWF specifications will provide benefits beyond the ESSOR partner nations. This process of ratification also allows the adoption of these waveform standards by non-European NATO members. Therefore, it would not be unsurprising if Canada and the United States adopt ESSOR waveforms in the future as these nations, like other NATO members, are pledged to embrace the Alliance’s MDO posture.

After four decades of service, the last Soviet-era Polish Su-22 Fitter swing-wing strike aircraft have finally been withdrawn. After four decades of service, the last Polish Su-22 Fitter swing-wing strike aircraft have finally been withdrawn.

The United Kingdom’s naval construction sector has been undergoing a significant revival in recent years. Multiple procurement programmes are currently underway to support a much-needed modernisation of the British Royal Navy (RN). The recently revealed results of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR 2025) herald a further expansion of the sector, with the submarine segment likely to be a significant beneficiary.

La prestation à 7 millions d'euros passée par l'OTAN à l'américain Planet Labs va être imbriquée au réseau de satellites et d'analyse mis à disposition par 17 États membres. L'Alliance entend se

The Kosovo Security Forces (Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës: KSF) has received AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) from the United States durin

Développé par Turgis & Gaillard, le drone MALE Aarok a réalisé son premier vol mardi.

Le ministère des Armées et le groupe Urbasolar vont inaugurer le 19 septembre une centrale photovoltaïque sur l’ancien site des dépôts d’essence des armées à Amilly (Loiret). Il s’agit de la première réalisation développée par le ministère dans le cadre du plan « Place au soleil »; ce plan gouvernemental lancé en 2018 vise à augmenter les capacités de production d’énergie électrique d’origine solaire en France. Il veut mobiliser les détenteurs de grands espaces fonciers inutilisés et la filière des producteurs d’énergie pour accélérer les investissements et la production d’énergie solaire.

A l’issue d’un appel à manifestation d’intérêt organisé par le ministère des Armées, le groupe Urbasolar (groupe français et division solaire de l’énergéticien suisse Axpo depuis 2019) avait été sélectionné pour disposer du site sur une durée trente ans. En contrepartie d’une redevance, Urbasolar a construit une centrale de production d’énergie solaire et son exploitation lui a été confiée.

Le terrain militaire d’une superficie de plus de 9 hectares, fermé en 2004 puis dépollué, avait accueilli son premier panneau photovoltaïque en juin 2024. Après un an de travaux, la centrale, dotée de 17 300 panneaux solaires, va produire chaque année une énergie équivalente à 11 900 Mégawattheures (MWh) d’électricité verte, ce qui permettra de couvrir l’équivalent des besoins annuels en électricité de 5 520 personnes de la région.

32 sites militaires mobilisés
D’autres sites du ministère des Armées accueillent actuellement des centrales en construction ou des études pour de futurs parcs solaires, par les lauréats des appels à projet du plan « Place au soleil ». Par exemple, le producteur indépendant d’énergie photovoltaïque Photosol va installer une ferme photovoltaïque sur la base de Creil, pour fabriquer l’équivalent de la consommation d’électricité de 180 000 personnes. Autre exemple avec un projet lancé en 2021 sur le camp de Coëtquidan où devait être installée une centrale solaire de 14 hectares. Ce projet de 8 millions permettra de fournir de l’électricité à 2 600 foyers. Unies au sein d’une société commune baptisée Amel, Amarenco France et Melvan (deux entreprises françaises spécialisées dans la construction et l’exploitation d’installations solaires) exploiteront le site durant 30 ans. Amel reversera une redevance annuelle à l’État ainsi qu’une part variable en fonction du prix de l’électricité.

Au total, dans le cadre de ce plan, le ministère des Armées mobilise 1 180 hectares de son domaine foncier, répartis sur 32 sites.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has begun operating the Veloce 60 (V60) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to further enhance its maritime situational awareness.

Nouvelle victoire nordique pour Safran Electronics & Defense, qui fournira une solution d’appui à la conduite des feux à l’armée suédoise. Au coeur du système retenu, une jumelle multifonction Moskito TI déjà adoptée par de nombreuses armées.

Officialisé hier par l’agence suédoise d’acquisition d’armement (FMV) et par la filiale suisse Vectronix, ce marché de près de 45 M€ prévoit la fourniture d’un nombre non précisé d’exemplaires à compter du printemps 2026. Les formations et livraisons aux unités interviendront plus tard dans l’année, précise la FMV.

Baptisé « MOTI Sharpcrow », le système retenu servira à l’observation, l’identification et la classification de cibles par les spécialistes de la conduite des feux indirects, à commencer par les observateurs d’artillerie et contrôleurs aériens avancés (JTAC). Il reposera essentiellement sur la jumelle moyenne portée Moskito TI.

Sur le marché depuis un moment, la jumelle monoculaire Moskito TI combine une précision d’environ 2 m, une portée de 10 km, trois voies optiques, un télémètre et un pointeur laser optionnel. Le tout avec une autonomie de 4 heures et pour un poids inférieur à 1,3 kg. Des performances qui ont déjà convaincu les forces spéciales françaises, les armées américaine et néerlandaise ou encore le voisin norvégien.

« Avec ce capteur comme base et la possibilité de le compléter d’un chercheur de nord, nous obtenons un système de très haute précision qui peut être pleinement utilisé avec des munitions de précision modernes », indiquait Claes Tamm, chef de projet pour la FMV. Intégrée dans le cas suédois sur un trépied, la Moskito TI peut en effet être combinée avec le chercheur de nord Sterna + de Safran pour gagner en précision tant dans la détermination de sa propre position que dans celles des coordonnées de ciblage.

« Il s’agit d’une solution technique importante pour l’armée, et le fait que nous puissions commencer à la livrer dès 2026 représente une autre pièce du puzzle contribuant à son renforcement », déclarait pour sa part le brigadier général Jonas Lotsne, en charge des matériels terrestres au sein de la FMV.

De fait, la rapidité de livraison est désormais un argument central dans un secteur où l’accélération, tout en étant moins visible que dans d’autres secteurs, est pourtant bien réelle. Safran, qui produit 10 000 systèmes optroniques portables chaque année, a lui aussi choisi d’accélérer pour répondre à une demande en hausse. L’effort a ainsi conduit à pouvoir, dans certains cas, diviser les délais par deux ou trois tout en quadruplant la capacité de production. Deux résultats visibles d’une conjonction entre la reconfiguration de la chaîne, le renforcement des stocks et une production plus localisée.