https://ieeinc.com/
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EUROPE
24 Jul 25. Slovenia scraps defense-spending vote, seeks new kit with eye on NATO. In a political U-turn, Slovenia’s authorities have scrapped a referendum initiative on the country’s plans to increase its defense spending to 3% of its GDP by 2030. The development comes as Ljubljana is negotiating the largest military procurement in the nation’s history, eyeing some 106 AMV XP vehicles from Finland’s Patria for an estimated €695 million ($592 million). On July 18, the National Assembly, the lower chamber of Slovenia’s parliament, voted to cancel the proposed consultative referendum. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved the ballot initiative after it was proposed by a minor left-wing party that is part of the government. However, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, whose liberal party is the cabinet’s largest force, has opposed the referendum on the grounds that the country vowed to gradually increase its defense expenditure as part of its commitment to NATO.
The “referendum question passed in the National Assembly … is ambiguous as well as misleading,” Golob was quoted in a statement released by his government.
At the same time, Ljubljana is holding talks to acquire new eight-wheel-drive vehicles for its land forces. Slovenia and Finland signed a letter of intent last February. To place an order, the Slovenian government had pulled out of a 2022 deal to buy 45 Boxer armored vehicles from the intergovernmental Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). On July 22, the country’s Ministry of Defence told state-run news agency STA the country has fully withdrawn from the Boxer contract. Under the country’s commitments to NATO, Slovenia is to form the first battalion battle group by 2027, and the second one by 2030, equipping them with new armored vehicles. (Source: Defense News)
23 Jul 25. Serbia seeks new trainer and light attack aircraft to replace Yugoslavia-era Super Galebs. Serbia has launched a procurement effort to replace its Yugoslavia-era Soko G-4 Super Galeb (Super Seagull) jet trainer and light attack aircraft with a new type. The Serbian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Republic of Serbia Air Force and Air Defence (Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo i Protivvazduhoplovna Odbrana: RV i PVO) received a demonstration of the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano as one of the number of candidate airframes at Batajnica Air Base near Belgrade during the week beginning 21 July. Designated N-62 in Yugoslav/Serbian service, the Super Galeb was delivered between 1978 and 1991. Of the 85 aircraft originally received, 21 remain in the inventory of the RV i PVO, of which 10 are understood to be fully operational at any given time. It is understood that 24 new aircraft will be acquired to equip two squadrons of 12 aircraft each. Deliveries are slated to begin by 2030.
“We have set a fast pace, and the plan is for demonstrations of the aircraft that will be competing for the acquisition to be held in Serbia this year,” the Serbian MoD’s assistant Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović
21 Jul 25. Erdogan says Germany, Britain positive on Eurofighter jets sale to Turkey. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Germany and Britain took a positive stance on the sale of Eurofighter jets to Turkey, adding that Ankara wants to finalise the purchase as soon as possible. Turkey has been in talks on buying Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus (AIR.PA), BAE Systems(BAES.L) and Leonardo (LDOF.MI).
“The British and Germans are approaching this positively. God willing, I believe we will receive our jet planes as soon as possible,” Erdogan was cited as telling reporters on a flight from northern Cyprus.
“In my meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, I saw they also approached the issue positively and hopefully we will take this step,” he said, according to a transcript of his comments published on Monday. (Source: Reuters)
REST OF THE WORLD
24 Jul 25. AUKUS treaty deepens UK-Australia defence partnership to generate £20bn in trade and create 7,000 new jobs.
Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary in Australia alongside UK’s Carrier Strike Group – demonstrating government’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
- Signing of new UK-Australia AUKUS treaty protects our seas, supports over 21,000 UK jobs and underpins up to £20 billion exports potential.
- Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary in Australia alongside UK’s Carrier Strike Group – demonstrating government’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
- New treaty unlocks greater economic cooperation and delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change.
A new 50 year AUKUS treaty will underpin the UK and Australian submarine programmes, support tens of thousands of jobs in the UK and Australia, enhance both nations’ industrial capacity, and deliver the submarines that keep the UK and our allies safe. The deal demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver both security and prosperity, safeguarding jobs across the UK and boosting our defence industry, with new submarine exports amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds a year. Expected to be worth up to £20bn to the UK in exports over the next 25 years, this decades-long programme will create over 7,000 new jobs in UK shipyards and across the supply chain, building on the billions of pounds already invested in Barrow, Derby and beyond. There will be over 21,000 people working on the conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered AUKUS submarine programme (known as SSN-AUKUS) in the UK at its peak, contributing to opportunities and economic growth in local communities across the UK.
Defence Secretary, John Healey, said: “AUKUS is one of Britain’s most important defence partnerships, strengthening global security while driving growth at home. This historic Treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century. Through the Treaty, we are supporting high-skilled, well-paid jobs for tens of thousands of people in both the UK and Australia, delivering on our Plan for Change today and for the generations to come. There are people not yet born who will benefit from the jobs secured through this defence deal.
Our deep defence relationship with Australia – from our work together to support Ukraine, share vital intelligence, and develop innovative technology – makes us secure at home and strong abroad.”
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said: “The UK-Australia relationship is like no other, and in our increasingly volatile and dangerous world, our anchoring friendship has real impact in the protection of global peace and prosperity. Our new bilateral AUKUS treaty is an embodiment of that – safeguarding a free and open Indo Pacific whilst catalysing growth for both our countries. This is how our government delivers the Plan for Change – protecting our national security and stability whilst generating jobs for Brits. This is the latest milestone reached under the AUKUS partnership – our most strategically significant new defence partnership in a generation. “
The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will travel to Australia as the Carrier Strike Group and more than 3,000 British military personnel take part in the largest military exercise Australia has ever hosted. Their visit follows the exercise’s success where the AUKUS nations worked with Japan on advancing how we use robotics and autonomous systems in our defence systems. Both ministers will meet their counterparts at the annual “Australia-UK Ministerial”, known as AUKMIN, to drive forward collaboration across the board – generating further trade and investment to our £23 billion per year annual trade relationship with Australia. Travelling onto Melbourne, the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will meet with businesses at the forefront of AUKUS – delivering the defence industrial strength needed to protect British, Australian and American interests. The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will visit Darwin to see our commitment to the Indo-Pacific first hand as the Carrier Strike Group docks in the Northern Territory. This deployment – one of the UK’s largest this century – sends a clear message that the UK alongside our partners stands ready to protect the Indo-Pacific’s vital trade routes and will deter those who undermine global security. On HMS Prince of Wales, the flagship of the group, the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will meet the service personnel who have participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre, one of the largest military exercises in the world this year. Bringing together over 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, this exercise strengthens and tests how key partners can work together to safeguard global trade routes and maintain regional stability. The Carrier Strike Group deployment this year reinforces the Government’s Plan for Change by strengthening the international partnerships that underpin economic growth and national security, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad. It takes place against the backdrop of the Government’s landmark commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027. This historic investment underpins the Government’s mission-led approach to securing Britain’s future, providing the economic stability necessary for growth whilst ensuring the UK maintains cutting-edge capabilities such as to meet emerging global threats. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
18 Jul 25. Denel pursuing R53bn opportunity pipeline. State-owned aerospace and defence group Denel has an order opportunity pipeline worth more than R53bn, with R45bn in high value potential contracts for artillery, armoured vehicles, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This is according to a presentation the company delivered in mid-June to Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD). Under short and medium term possibilities (three to 18 months), Denel is pursuing a potential R15 bn artillery contract with a Middle Eastern customer which is looking to acquire 78 T5-52 truck-mounted 155 mm artillery systems along with support vehicles and Arthur radars. Denel has responded to a request for information (RFI) and proposal for localisation, and is awaiting the request for proposals (RFP). The next biggest opportunity is for the supply of 54 T5 artillery systems to a customer in a potential R12 bn deal. This is in the RFI phase. Closer to home, Denel is hoping to supply 462 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for border patrol in a contract that could be worth up to R4.3bn. Denel submitted its proposal to Armscor and is awaiting a decision in project, which has been delayed due to changing requirements and other issues. For the SA Air Force, Denel is awaiting feedback for Armscor on funding Rooivalk Mk 1.1 Phase 1 attack helicopter upgrades in a project that could be worth R324 m. “Rooivalk Mk 1.1 is a ‘clean slate’ conceptual design, fully exploiting state-of-the-art technologies to maximise the operational capabilities,” Denel stated. Modernisation would improve capability and address obsolescence issues. “Key milestones of the programme will include the development of a technology demonstrator prototype, a fully qualified avionics upgrade suite for the SAAF’s existing Rooivalk fleet (Rooivalk Mk 1.1) and a production baseline model (Rooivalk Mk 2) for export sales.”
Denel has two substantial potential missile contracts it is pursuing, including a potential R6.7 bn deal with a Middle Eastern country for 324 Umkhonto-IR surface-to-air missiles and 15 ground-based launchers. This is in the RFI phase, and requires an in-country firing demonstration. Another client, in the Middle East, is looking at acquiring 2 000 Ingwe anti-tank missiles in a potential R6 bn deal. An in-country demonstration is scheduled for this year. Denel said “a large-scale export production order is expected in 2026.” A capability demonstration is planned for a customer looking at Seeker 400 UAVs in a potential R741m deal. According to Denel’s 2025-26 Corporate Plan, immediate markets it is pursuing include Brazil, the USA, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Finland. Other targets include India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Denel is placing an emphasis on seeking export clients to maintain its capabilities and ensure sustainability. As part of its turnaround strategy, it aims to drive business by investing in research and development to expand the product range, and target new markets. The company wants to be the supplier of choice to the SANDF and re-enter markets in Africa and the Middle East. In its Corporate Plan, Denel noted that South Africa is ‘contradicting’ world military spending trends and the expectations outlined in the 2015 Defence Review by spending less than 1% of GDP on defence, below the 2% global norm. This slim budget “places pressure on Denel to seek export clients to maintain its capabilities and ensure sustainability.” The company added that the reduction in the budget limits the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and has also resulted in small local businesses collaborating with foreign companies, taking advantage of Denel’s absence in the industry. Denel noted the changing geopolitical landscape represents an opportunity. “The war in Europe, Middle East and instability in Africa coupled with changing global US policy has created a global need for Denel’s defence and security products.” Denel secured a major contract for the upgrade of G6 “equipment” in December 2024 and started receiving orders for G6 support contracts from other customers and various other opportunities are in the pipeline, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga stated in a reply to a parliamentary question posed by the Democratic Alliance’s Chris Hattingh (Denel from 1 April falls under the responsibility of the Department of Defence). Denel concluded negotiations to supply missiles to an existing customer, and is awaiting final signature, Motshekga’s reply added. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
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Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
From rapid prototyping of custom designs to full-scale production runs, IEE, produces displays with advanced features like low-latency video processing, high-bright and NVIS backlighting, and lightweight rugged enclosures. Their SWaP-C products employ the latest lightweight composite materials; low power, high performance integrated ARM processors; standard Ethernet and USB communication, in a low cost, highly producible design.
In-house California facilities include optical bonding, clean rooms for display assembly, a dark room for optical measurements and environmental chambers for pre-compliance and customer acceptance testing. On-site manufacturing includes PCB assembly and flow soldering. IEE has manufactured handheld, in-vehicle, airborne and naval LCD displays for all military branches as well as leading aerospace firms both domestically and internationally.
IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.
IEE’s Advantage:
- Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
- Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
- Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
- Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
- Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.
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