06 Nov 25. Inauguration of a New 155 mm Artillery-shell Production Unit at KNDS Belgium. A major strengthening of Belgian and European industrial capacity. The Belgian Minister of Defence, Mr. Théo Francken, today inaugurated a new Large-Calibre Machining and Banding Unit (UCGC) at the defence company KNDS Belgium. The facility includes an automated production line for 155 mm artillery shells, intended to strengthen the group’s industrial capacity — which already included two production lines — amid strong demand for munitions.
“One production line, two benefits: autonomy and jobs. By manufacturing our ammunition ourselves we keep the economic value added here and gain strategic strength. In 2026, with our CAESAR howitzers ready for use, we will be firing Belgian munitions,” Minister Francken said during the ceremony.
Alongside the Minister of Defence, the Walloon Minister for Economy, Industry and Employment, Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet, praised “this new production tool, a genuine demonstration of KNDS Belgium’s teams technological expertise, within a rapidly growing company.”
Mr. Jean-Michel Girard, Director of KNDS Belgium, stressed: “In 2026, nearly six months of production will be dedicated to shells for the Belgian Defence. This is a great source of pride for our company, which has been serving the Land Force for almost 90 years. We maintain a constructive and ongoing dialogue with Defence on technical, conceptual and operational levels. This investment generates workload while supporting our innovation dynamic and skills development. Many projects are still to come.”
He also recalled “the importance for Belgium of having a major national player in the field of medium and large-caliber munitions. With 350 employees, KNDS Belgium is a key player in Belgium’s defence industrial and technological base, and a globally recognised partner.
Finally, Major-General Filip Borremans, National Director of Armaments, confirmed: “The start-up of this automated 155 mm shell production line in Belgium marks a crucial step in strengthening our strategic autonomy, both nationally and at the European level. This robust and scalable production capability contributes not only to our operational readiness and our interoperability within NATO, but also to the resilience of the European defence industry.” (Source: ASD Network)
06 Nov 25. Possible Production of American Air Defence Ammunition in the Netherlands. A study into the possibility of producing American air defence ammunition in the Netherlands will be carried out next year. The US government approved the feasibility study at the end of last week. The study will look into how the Dutch defence industry can contribute to the production, assembly and maintenance of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs. AMRAAMs are advanced air defence weapons that are designed to counter medium-range aerial threats such as manned and unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles. They are carried by F-35 fighters for self-defence and are also used by ground-based air and missile defence units. The strategic bilateral cooperation is a first step in AMRAAM co-production with a European NATO partner and will deepen transatlantic defence cooperation. It will also mitigate production shortages. Scaling up production is essential to continuing support for Ukraine and defending NATO territory. A proactive international approach to co-production is in keeping with the Netherlands’ defence strategy for industry and innovation. Working with the US and other NATO members, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence intends to contribute to the production and accelerated delivery of AMRAAMs. Raytheon, the US manufacturer of AMRAAMs, will conduct the feasibility study. (Source: ASD Network)
04 Nov 25. Rheinmetall and Lithuania build artillery ammunition plant on NATO’s eastern flank. Rheinmetall is taking another step forward in its cooperation with Lithuania to support European and Atlantic security – right on NATO’s eastern flank. A new plant for the production of 155mm artillery ammunition is being built in the Lithuanian municipality of Baisogala. It will be operated by the joint venture Rheinmetall Defense Lithuania. During a festive ceremony, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas, Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Rheinmetalls JV-partner EPSO-G Managing Director Mindaugas Keizeris and Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger broke ground on November 4th 2025. The ceremony was also attended by high-ranking officials, including Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, Minister of Interior Vladislav Kondratovič, CEO of Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (GGG) Mindaugas Kurauskas, and General Manager of Invest Lithuania Elijus Čivilis. Other high-ranking guests from politics, administration, industry, diplomacy and the armed forces also took part. In addition, the German State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Defence, Dr Nils Schmid, attended the ceremony, underscoring the close partnership between Lithuania and the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of security and defence policy. The Ammunition Plant Lithuania in Baisogala, operated by the joint venture Rheinmetall Defense Lithuania, will be a modern production facility for 155mm artillery ammunition covering an area of around 340 hectares. The Ammunition Plant Lithuania will include a shell casing forge and a filling plant. Production capacity is expected to be in the tens of thousands of projectiles per year. Up to €300 m will be invested directly in Lithuania. Up to 150 jobs will be created. The Lithuanian plant is scheduled to go into operation as early as 2026. Line qualification will initially take place until the end of 2026. Then, depending on the order situation, a gradual ramp-up will begin in 2027. Domestic industry and local suppliers will also be involved in the construction and operation of the Lithuania plant. In the course of the groundbreaking ceremony, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and Rheinmetall signed another MoU to establish a Centre of Excellence for propellants, which will also be operated by Rheinmetall Defence Lietuva. Rheinmetall intends to establish production facilities for the manufacture of energetic components and combustible cartridgecases, as well as an assembly line for the production of modular propellant charges with a production capacity of several hundred thousand propellant charge modules per year at this centre of excellence.
Gitanas Nausėda, the President of the Republic of Lithuania: ‘For Lithuania, this state-of-the-art artillery ammunition production facility, the largest defense investment in country’s history, is not merely an industrial project. It is a strategic step aimed at building deterrence as a precondition for peace. Today, we witness how the Zeitenwende proclaimed in Berlin materializes on the Lithuanian soil in steel, technology and, most importantly, in trust.’
‘The future plant is a key element in strengthening the defensive capabilities and security of Lithuania and the wider region. It will help meet our own and our allies’ needs, fostering closer cooperation between Lithuania and Germany – two exemplary strategic partners. I am confident that the success of this project will encourage and pave the way for new partnerships, all aimed at enhancing security – the priority of our time,’ says the Prime Minister of Lithuania Inga Ruginienė.
Edvinas Grikšas, The Minister of Economy and Innovation: ‘Today’s Memorandum of Understanding marks a new milestone in Rheinmetall’s growing partnership with Lithuania. It is not only a new agreement, but also a clear sign of confidence that Lithuania offers a safe and reliable environment to invest, innovate and grow. We welcome Rheinmetall’s continued commitment, which helps build stronger industrial capacity and reinforces Lithuania’s strategic position in Europe.’
‘The new plant in Lithuania will be of strategic importance not only for Lithuania itself, but also for Europe and NATO,’ said Armin Papperger. “The security of our country and our allies is a matter of urgent concern to us all. We are grateful for Lithuania’s trust and support. I promise that we at Rheinmetall will do our part to ensure operational readiness here on NATO’s eastern flank!”
With the construction of the Lithuanian plant, Rheinmetall is continuing its commitment in the Baltic States. The Lithuania Defense Services joint venture in Jonava maintains combat vehicles for the German 45th Tank Brigade, other NATO armies and Ukraine. Another artillery plant is to be built in neighbouring Latvia in the near future.
03 Nov 25. Aston University researcher to develop lasers to detect hidden explosives.
- Dr Alberto Rodríguez Cuevas is a post-doctoral associate based at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies
- He is developing a laser-based sensing technology to detect hazardous materials
- He has received a £250,000 fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to fund his study.
An Aston University researcher has received a £250,000 fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to fund the study of lasers to remotely detect hidden explosives.
Dr Alberto Rodríguez Cuevas is a postdoctoral researcher based at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT). Currently, he is developing a laser source for a new microscopy technique called dual-comb microscopy. This laser emits trains of ultra-short optical pulses with a very small and stable difference in their repetition rates. From January 2026 he will be using the same laser source to detect hazardous materials by identifying them directly or through the tiny chemical traces they release. This approach enables safe, fast, and remote detection, strengthening border security, protecting public spaces and enhancing national safety.
His research, called ‘Near-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy for stand-off detection of hazardous materials’, will be conducted at AIPT, one of the world’s leading photonics research centres which explores the science and technology of light.
The detection of dangerous substances from a safe distance, without being in direct contact with them, is a critical yet technically challenging goal in security and defence. Explosives have exceptionally low vapour pressures, making them difficult to detect compared to environmental pollutants. Also, hidden explosives release only trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, requiring highly sensitive and selective detection technologies capable of operating at safe distances.
Dr Rodriguez said: “I am delighted to receive the fellowship. My project proposes the development of a dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) platform for the stand-off –detection – that is from a safe distance – of hazardous materials, leveraging two complementary optical frequency comb (OFC) sources already developed at Aston University.
“My approach prioritises remote detection aligned with operational needs in border control, critical infrastructure protection, and urban security. By combining broadband coverage, high resolution, rapid acquisition, and portable implementation, this project aims to bridge the gap between laboratory OFC systems and field-deployable chemical threat detectors, offering a significant advancement in national security sensing capabilities.”
Dr Rodriguez is being supported by the Academy’s latest UK intelligence community postdoctoral research fellowships that can support the security and defence sector. He is the first researcher in Aston University history to receive this award and one of just five researchers in the UK to receive it. Each awardee receives funding for at least two years of their project, mentorship from a fellow of the academy and an adviser from the intelligence sector.
04 Nov 25. Radical Defense expands 3D-printed range of blast mitigation systems. US defence company Radical Defense showcased new blast mitigation solutions at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 exhibition, including the Blast Attenuation Device – M2 (BAD-M2) Direct Thread suppressor. Radical Defense has collaborated with weapons suppliers to develop a range of ballistic suppressors and blast mitigation devices for weapon calibres from 5.56×45 mm up to 30 mm, with work continuing for larger calibres up to 155 mm. By using additive manufacturing capabilities (a form of 3D printing), Radical Defense told Janes it has manufactured suppressor products with structural architectures which could not be replicated with conventional computer numerical control (CNC) machining technology. The focus on adopting an additive manufacturing-based supply chain, enabled by 3D printers supplied by UK-based company Renishaw, is intended to improve cost-efficiency and scaleable manufacturing across the firm’s entire portfolio of suppressor products. The BAD-M2 was designed for integration with the M2A1 and FN M2HB-QCB .50 calibre machine guns in service with a variety of armed services globally. Requiring no permanent modifications to the host weapon, the BAD-M2 integrates a flash hider within a monolithic, corrosion-resistant body covered in a proprietary infrared (IR)-suppressive, non-reflective coating, designed to reduce visual and IR spectrum signature. Radical Defense has been directly contracted by the US Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Direct and Time Sensitive Strike (PMA-242) programme to develop a solution for FN Herstal’s FN M3M machine gun, a system currently in operation on various rotary-wing platforms of the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. (Source: Janes)
03 Nov 25. Rheinmetall and Romania jointly produce propellant powder. Rheinmetall and the Romanian company Pirochim Victoria, a subsidiary of Romarm, are establishing the joint venture Rheinmetall Victoria SA to produce propellant powder and modular propellants. The joint venture agreement was signed today in the Romanian capital Bucharest in the presence of Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, and Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister of Romania.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, said: “Propellant powder remains a strategic bottleneck within the defence industry. The new production facility in Romania is another step towards our goal of achieving an annual production capacity of 20,000 tonnes of propellant powder by 2030.”
The total investment in the planned powder plant exceeds €500 m. Rheinmetall holds a 51% stake in the joint venture, with Pirochim Victoria holding the remaining 49%. The production plant is to be built in Victoria, Brasov County. The joint venture is expected to create around 700 jobs. The expected annual production capacity is around 300,000 modular propellant charges, requiring approximately 750 tonnes of powder. Additionally, 200 tonnes of propellant powder will be produced to meet local demand. Energy precursors such as nitrocellulose will also be produced locally. According to the current plans, the production of propellant powder and modular propellant charges is scheduled to begin in 2028. With this investment, Rheinmetall and Romania are establishing the strategically important production of propellant powder within the country. At the same time, the corporation will bolster its presence on NATO’s eastern flank. Romania, in turn, will be creating sustainable added value in its own country.