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07 Mar 22. Britain poised to expand defence spending as Russia’s failures in Ukraine raise eyebrows.
Bloody invasion prompts call to review UK Armed Forces and learn lessons of Kremlin’s difficulties
Britain could increase its defence spending as soon as this month, as the Ministry of Defence plans to review its military upgrade based on the failings of Russian forces in Ukraine.
Government sources told The Telegraph that new money could be agreed by the Chancellor in the spring statement on March 23, potentially to fund more deliveries of weapons to the Ukrainians or to improve Britain’s forces.
The possibility has not been ruled out by the Treasury, although no discussions have taken place yet and the Ministry of Defence has made no formal submission, it is understood.
At present, the lethal and non-lethal aid offered by Britain has been paid for out of existing departmental budgets. However, Boris Johnson has stressed that the UK will step up the provision of arms.
In a telephone call with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, on Sunday, the Prime Minister vowed that he would work with Western allies to provide “further defensive equipment” to Kyiv, Downing Street said.
Outlining a scenario in which the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Defence Secretary agreed that Britain should contribute significantly more weapons, a Government source said: “If that can’t be done within existing budgets, we’ll look at the way to go.”
However, the source added: “We’re hyper aware of the cost of living situation. Spending more in any area means less for helping people in their pockets in the medium-term. We’ve got to balance all these things.”
Mr Johnson faces growing pressure to increase the British military’s budget in light of Moscow’s bloody invasion of Ukraine. That is despite the MoD receiving a four-year settlement in 2020 that represented the biggest rise in defence funding since the end of the Cold War.
It was awarded as part of an “integrated review” into Britain’s defence and foreign policy. On Sunday, critics claimed that the review’s conclusions were out of date in the wake of war breaking out in Europe.
A UK security source told The Telegraph that plans for upgrading the UK’s Armed Forces were now set to be reviewed. “We need to learn from Russian army failures,” the insider said, adding that the MoD “will obviously look at lessons”.
The ease with which Russian tanks have been attacked by Ukrainian forces and faced other difficulties has raised eyebrows among the British defence establishment.
John Healey, Labour’s shadow defence secretary, also demanded a “big boost to defence”, as he urged the Government to be aware of “increased threats to our security in Europe”.
Britain’s level of defence expenditure is currently 2.2 per cent of GDP, above the two per cent minimum Nato target.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, highlighted that he had already secured a £24 billion uplift in spending for his department. However, on Sunday he said Mr Johnson had always been open to the idea that “if the threat changes, of course we look at those funding levels”.
His intervention came as Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, also hinted that a further rise could come. He told Times Radio: “We’ll always keep that under review.
“It is a reminder as we set out in the integrated review that we still face conventional threats like an invasion from Russia over into Ukraine but also the hybrid threats we face like cyber.”
Defence spending is the most likely of any budget to rise at the spring statement in just over a fortnight, according to two sources cited by Sky News.
The Office for Budget Responsibility, the Treasury spending watchdog, is expected to upgrade its forecasts to give Rishi Sunak more maneuverability to increase public spending. The Treasury received almost £9 billion more in tax receipts in January than the previous year.
A Treasury source said on Sunday: “Back in 2020, this Government provided the largest increase in defence spending since the Cold War, which saw an extra £24 billion injected into budgets of the next four years.
“This was an exceptional uplift in defence spending and the decision to prioritise taxpayers’ money on our security was the right one.”
Tobias Ellwood, Tory chairman of the Commons defence select committee, said the UK should spend three per cent of GDP on defence and should use the extra cash to increase the number of F-35 stealth fighter jets. Only 48 out of an initial proposal to buy 138 have been confirmed.
He also called on the Government to double its order of Type 31 general purpose frigates from five to 10. In addition, he demanded plans to cut the British Army by 10,000 troops – to 73,000, shrinking it to its smallest size since the Napoleonic era – be reversed.
Dr Jack Watling, research fellow in land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, said if more government cash were forthcoming, the MoD should look at improving the “non-sexy background equipment that enables the forces to function”. That could include investing in logistics and bridging kit, where severe economies have occurred over many years. He added that building up low stocks of anti-tank guided weapons and anti-air missiles would be another obvious area for extra money to be spent. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
04 Mar 22. Dassault CEO frustrated over fighter talks with Airbus. Dassault Aviation (AM.PA) voiced frustration over a dispute with partner Airbus (AIR.PA) about the next phase of work on the European FCAS fighter project and said it was important to establish clear leadership. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which has been dogged by political and corporate differences, has been designed to replace the Eurofighter and Dassault’s Rafale with a combination of manned and unmanned aircraft from 2040. The project’s main government backers are France, Germany and Spain.
“I accept to be leader if I have the leverage to be leader,” Chief Executive Eric Trappier said, referring to Dassault’s responsibility for the core fighter element of the design.
Dassault and Airbus have been at odds over responsibility for flight controls, but Trappier said Dassault was prepared to share some of the work as long as it was free to run the first of seven project ‘pillars’ – involving the aircraft – as agreed.
“We have made enough efforts,” Trappier said, adding talks had been ‘difficult’ in the face of new demands since September.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some defence analysts have speculated that differences over FCAS could sink the project and reshuffle industry alliances.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said last month, “we continue to work with our industrial partners with the objective to move on to the next development phase later in the year”.
Announcing results earlier on Friday, Dassault said it was targeting agreement on the next stage of the FCAS project, known as phase 1B, before end-year. Trappier said the process had dragged on “in my opinion for too long”. read more
GERMAN SPENDING
Trappier told a news conference that Dassault, which built France’s Rafale alone after Paris pulled out of the Eurofighter programme in the 1980s, had benefited from developing its flight controls hand-in-hand with the warplane itself.
He acknowledged Airbus’ reputation for advanced flight controls for its jetliners but noted its design bureau was based in France, rather than at its defence factory near Munich.
Airbus represents Germany and Spain in the project so its work on the fighter needs to be handled by those countries.
Because it represents two nations, Airbus will have industrial responsibility for two thirds of FCAS, while Dassault will have one third.
Trappier contrasted splits over FCAS with an agreement last week to launch an Airbus-led Franco-German-Italian ‘Eurodrone,’ whose flight controls will be built by Dassault.
The French CEO meanwhile raised concerns over Germany’s tentative decision to seek American F-35 warplanes.
Germany could purchase U.S. F-35 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) to replace its ageing Tornado, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday.
The move involves a more pressing schedule and different role compared to the broader FCAS project, but Trappier said others were watching Berlin following the historic policy shift.
“If the first decision after raising the (German defence) budget to 100bn euros…is to buy the F-5 F-35 that is going to cool our feelings of support in that type of area,” he said. (Source: Reuters)
04 Mar 22. FCAS warplane program stalls, as Dassault and Airbus fail to reach key industry deal.
One of Europe’s key weapon developments has stalled as the prime contractors have failed to reach agreement on the path forward, a top industry official said Friday.
The trinational Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program — intended to provide a swath of new military capabilities to France, Germany, and Spain by 2040 – has yet to enter its research-and-development phase, and risks falling behind schedule if the industry partners cannot compromise on key workshare allowances.
Two of the three prime contractors, Airbus and Dassault, haven’t reached a deal to launch the R&D-related Phase 1B that would lead to a prototype fighter jet by 2027, said Dassault CEO Eric Trappier in a Friday earnings meeting.
“We have done everything possible to sign with Airbus, and I’m waiting for Airbus’ signature,” he said. “The problem is on the other side of the Rhine.”
The Phase 1B contract has been prepared by the French military procurement agency Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), “and we are waiting for Airbus to sign… which is not the case right now,” Trappier said. Dassault is leading France’s industry participation in the FCAS program, while Airbus represents Germany and Indra represents Spain. Indra, who leads Spain’s industry participation in the FCAS program, declined to comment on Friday.
The negotiations, which have dragged on for months now, risk bringing the program to a complete standstill. “There is a moment where we say ‘yes,’ or we say ‘no,’” Trappier continued. “In my opinion, this has gone on a bit too long.”
Per Trappier, the dispute rests on Dassault’s role as the lead for the Next-Generation Fighter element. The program is separated into seven technology “pillars,” each of which is led by a specific company, with subcontractors contributing as well. Dassault is responsible for the new fighter jet, while Airbus leads the “loyal wingman” remote-carrier drone design, along with new cloud capabilities and stealth technologies. Indra leads the sensor systems pillar, while Safran is building a new jet engine for the fighter.
“Dassault should be the leader and the main contractor” for the fighter jet, Trappier said. “Additional requests were introduced to support this program; I said that there was a red line not to be crossed.”
According to Airbus, the kerfuffle boils down to fairness.
“We have managed months ago to find fair and balanced agreements on all 6 other pillars, where even under a defined leadership the competence and capacities of each partner are respected and can participate in an equitable manner,” a spokesman told Defense News. “Airbus has made several proposals to converge also on the Next Generation Fighter (NGF) and we are supporting any solution which will respect both the skills of each partner and the lead role of Dassault Aviation, leading to a fair agreement. We are confident that a resolution can be achieved if the rules of the cooperation agreed by the nations are respected in the NGF, as it is the case on other pillars.”
The program’s stakeholders have long awaited this industry contract. The German, French, and Spanish defense ministers reached their own trinational agreement last summer, which formalized the nations’ funding commitments through Phase 1B and 2, culminating in an initial prototype by 2027. In an Aug. 31 tweet lauding the deal, the German Defense Ministry pointedly said: “Now it’s industry’s turn – come to an agreement.”
The ongoing delay risks pushing back the delivery schedule for the new fighter jet. Meanwhile, Dassault engineers who were due to work on the demonstrator phase have been redeployed elsewhere in the company, Trappier said. They will return to the FCAS program if and when the contract is signed.
“I know they are eager to design an NGF demonstrator,” he said.
The trinational program isn’t the only source of tension between France and Germany at the moment. Reports have emerged that Berlin is once again considering buying U.S.-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighters as it phases out its aging Tornado fleet, and new Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently announced plans for Germany to invest 100 billion euro (U.S. $110 billion) into its defense.
Trappier, who is also the current president of the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), said Friday that he is “convinced” Germany will choose the F-35, as it had previously desired. He claimed the Germans are being pressured by the U.S. to use F-35s for their nuclear mission, even as Berlin pays lip service to the need to “Buy European.”
“We will see with our number-one partner, which is Germany, whether the first decision they make [after investing 100bn euros] is to sign the FCAS contract, or to buy the F-35,” he said. (Source: Defense News)
04 Mar 22. Poland plans to boost defence spending as Ukraine conflict worsens. Poland also plans to increase the number of soldiers from 143,500 to 300,000, over five years. Poland is set to increase its defence expenditure as hostilities in neighbouring country Ukraine renewed its focus on military preparedness. According to a Reuters report, the Polish Government is expected to increase spending more than previously planned, and expand the military size to strengthen defence capabilities. In the lower house of the parliament, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) Jaroslaw Kaczynski was quoted by the news agency as saying: “There will be an amendment [to the defence plan], 3% of GDP on defence next year, then we will increase it.” Poland’s defence budget totals 2% of the annual GDP, aligned with its commitment to Nato. A bill called the Defence of the Fatherland Act was introduced in the parliament last year, which aimed to increase the spending to 2.5% from 2024. The bill is being debated in the parliament. It also plans to increase the number of troops from 143,500 to 300,000, as part of a five-year plan.
Blaszczak added: “There will be a framework for having one of the strongest armies in Nato. Our fatherland needs such a Polish Army, especially now, when the evil empire is trying to be reborn across our eastern border.”
Ukraine continues to receive military assistance from several countries. In addition to earlier announcements, Germany is now planning to send 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. The German government previously said that it would send 1,000 anti-tank weapons, and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, to support Ukraine’s defensive efforts. The US Department of the Defense (DoD) has also established a new hotline with the Russian defence ministry. The move is aimed to help avoid military incidents and miscalculations amid the ongoing conflict, a US defence official told Reuters. (Source: army-technology.com)
03 Mar 22. Romania to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. Following a meeting with Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence, President Klaus Iohannis told a press conference on 1 March that it is necessary to increase the country’s defence budget from 2% to 2.5% of GDP in light of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Florin Cîțu, leader of the National Liberal Party and President of the Romanian Senate, indicated a day later that the increase would take place from 2023. Romania’s 2022 budget allocated RON25.9 billion (USD6.14 billion) to defence: a 14% nominal increase on 2021. The official medium-term forecast released with the budget suggested defence would see nominal increases of 8.2–9.3% for the following three years, with defence as a percentage of GDP reaching 2.3% by 2025. (Source: Janes)
02 Mar 22. UK’s ECJU Issues Notice to Exporters 2022/04: Introduction of New Sanctions Against Russia. The U.K. government’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has issued Notice to Exporters 2022/04: Introduction of New Sanctions Against Russia. Further to Notice 2022/03, a tranche of new trade sanctions on Russia was introduced on 1 March 2022. The full details of the new measures, which augment the sanctions measures introduced in 2014, can be found in the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2022. The new measures include a list of critical-industry goods and critical-industry technology which are now prohibited for export, supply or transfer to, or for use in, Russia, along with the provision of related technical assistance, financial services, and brokering services. Existing prohibitions on the export, supply, or transfer of military and dual-use items, as well as restrictions on the export or supply of energy-related goods and services, remain in place. There are some exceptions to these prohibitions, which are set out in detail in the legislation, and licences can be granted in very limited circumstances. There are also financial sanctions against Russia and further information is available from the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). Guidance on the scope of sanctions against Russia, including the circumstances in which licences can be granted, can be found on the GOV.UK Russia sanctions: guidance page. (Source: glstrade.com)
01 Mar 22. Germany’s defence industry transformed by Scholz’s €100bn response to Ukraine crisis. Shares in sector soar as huge injection into armed forces raises prospect of a reshaped corporate landscape. Berlin’s defence commitment and suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline have upturned decades-old defence, energy and finance policies. The head of Germany’s largest listed defence contractor, Rheinmetall, has seen his industry sidelined to such an extent that as recently as last month companies could not get domestic banks to fund their activities. But German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to inject €100bn into the country’s armed forces and boost defence spending in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Papperger among the world’s most sought-after executives. “Some months ago people wanted to ban us, to say that this industry is a very bad industry, is a harmful industry,” Papperger told the Financial Times. “It’s a totally different world now.” Berlin’s defence commitment, along with its suspension last week of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as it seeks to wean itself off Russian gas, has upturned decades-old defence, energy and finance policies, raising the prospect of a dramatically reshaped German corporate landscape. As chief executives, including Papperger, on Monday hashed out with the German defence ministry how the new funds should be spent and what weapons were available for immediate aid to Ukraine, shares in the sector soared. Rheinmetall’s chief executive Armin Papperger: ‘Some months ago people wanted to ban us, to say that this industry is a very bad industry, is a harmful industry. It’s a totally different world now’ Along with Rheinmetall, investors bought into contractors such as sensor specialist Hensoldt and submarine maker Thyssenkrupp, as well as smaller companies such as Jenoptik, which makes rifle sights. “Everyone was taken by surprise” by Scholz’s decision, a person close to Hensoldt’s management said, but the chancellor “kind of reiterated what we have been saying for a very long time, that German armed forces need to be properly equipped”. Three scenarios were discussed on Monday’s call between the German government and defence contractors, according to people involved. The first was the deployment of equipment to Ukraine, including ammunition and tents, using existing stockpiles. The second was to bring European forces, especially Germany’s, up to scratch in a matter of weeks by supplying munitions and repairing neglected equipment. And third, the companies were asked about lead times for new artillery and vehicles. Rheinmetall said it had certain vehicles and ammunition in stock, which could now be handed over. Some of the products Hensoldt can supply with short lead times include radar sensors, long-range surveillance cameras and self-protection systems for aircraft and helicopters, which can throw surface-to-air missiles off course by detecting exhaust plumes from launchers and ejecting flares to confuse heat-seeking projectiles. In the medium term, companies are speeding up planned projects, with Rheinmetall considering fast-tracking a prototype tank with a 130mm gun and a fully digital turret, as installed in the British Challenger, which could be manufactured within two years to replenish the German army’s arsenal. (Source: FT.com)
01 Mar 22. The threat of war is not abstract – our shipbuilding and ship repair sectors are essential to our national security, GMB Union tells Ben Wallace. The Government’s refusal to guarantee UK ships will be built in UK yards in the forthcoming National Shipbuilding Strategy despite Russian vessels bombarding a sovereign European nation has been criticised by GMB in a letter to the Defence Secretary The Minister of Defence [1] told the Defence Select Committee it will ‘not provide a guaranteed pipeline of work for UK yards’ when the refreshed Shipbuilding Strategy is published. In a letter to Ben Wallace, the union urges the Secretary of State for Defence to ‘think again and overturn your department’s damaging policy on this matter.’ Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: “The timing of the MoD’s refusal to back UK shipbuilding could hardly be worse. Defence jobs are being slashed across the board while Russian vessels bombard the shores of a sovereign European nation. The threat of war is not abstract. We are an island nation – our shipbuilding and ship repair sectors are essential to our national security. The war against Ukraine removes any doubt that we must look to our own defences. Thousands of shipbuilding jobs have been lost since the end of the cold war. The sector faces a crisis of casualisation and an aging workforce. These workers are part of our sovereign defence capabilities as much as the vessels that they produce and maintain. “We urge the Secretary of State to think a gain and overturn his damaging policy – starting with the Fleet Solid Support competition, worth more than £1.6bn to the UK economy.”
28 Feb 22. Bulgarian defence minister sacked over Ukraine rhetoric. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov on Monday fired Defence Minister Stefan Yanev for his reluctance to describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a war, reiterating that Sofia would speak in one voice with the European Union. Petkov said his centrist coalition government would ask parliament on Tuesday to approve Yanev’s dismissal and appoint Todor Tagarev, who was a caretaker defence minister in 2013, to the post.
“My defence minister cannot use the word operation instead of the word war. You cannot call it an operation when thousands of soldiers from the one and the other side are already killed,” Petkov said in a televised statement.
“The Bulgarian interest is not in bending our heads down…When we see something we do not agree with, something so obvious, we cannot keep quiet,” Petkov said.
Bulgaria is a member of the EU and NATO but many in the Balkan country – which was the closest Communist satellite of the Soviet Union during the Cold War era – feel a strong cultural and historical affinity with Russia. Some fear that taking a very strong stance against the Russian invasion could hurt Bulgaria, which is reliant on Russian energy supplies and tourist inflows to its Black Sea summer resorts. President Rumen Radev said the change of defence ministers in the midst of a military crisis not far away was risky and the ruling coalition would be responsible. Bulgaria has pledged to bolster NATO’s eastern flank and lead a battle group in cooperation with NATO, but comprised mainly of Bulgarian troops. Analysts say Yanev’s replacement may spur the deployment of more troops of NATO allies in Bulgaria.
“Bulgaria will not transform into an anti-Russian hawk in NATO, but will follow the tone set by Petkov for a clearer voicing of the Bulgarian position in NATO against the aggression in Ukraine,” political commentator Ivo Indzhov said.
In a Facebook post late on Sunday Yanev wrote that he was the subject of a targeted attack aimed at replacing him with someone who would be more open to taking decisions that serve foreign interests, which could put Bulgaria’s security at risk.
Petkov slammed Yanev’s statement saying neither of his ministers had the right to “their own foreign policy, especially on Facebook”. Petkov said Bulgaria was not forced to take any decisions by its Western allies but stressed that the biggest guarantee for the country’s security lay in standing united with its EU peers. Separately, the foreign ministry said on Monday Bulgaria had evacuated the staff of its consular mission in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa. (Source: Reuters)
27 Feb 22. Scholz proposes 100bn euro defense fund, vows to exceed NATO spending goal. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday announced a dramatic about-face in Berlin’s defense policy, vowing to anchor a 100bn (US $113bn) euro defense fund in the country’s constitution and exceed a NATO-wide annual spending goal. Prompted by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the measures amount to a stunning reversal of decades of anemic defense funding, grown from the post-Cold War expectation that the country’s military posture would take a back seat to Germany’s economic and diplomatic might. Speaking at a special session of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, Scholz said moves to rebuild the country’s armed forces would amount to an “unprecedented, common effort” to which he would dedicate the power of his office. The additional funds would help establish Germany as a “reliable and capable partner” with an “appropriate” role in the NATO alliance, Scholz said. NATO allies have long pushed Germany to increase its defense spending to 2% of GDP, a goal enshrined at the 2014 alliance summit. Berlin currently spends upwards of $50bn, or around 1.5% of GDP, on defense annually. Future German defense spending, Scholz said, would be “more” than 2%. The chancellor also mentioned a number of big-ticket acquisition programs that would be pushed forward in the course of the country’s defense uptick. For example, a new atomic weapons-capable aircraft under NATO nuclear-sharing doctrine is on the table — Scholz named the F-35 as a candidate — as a replacement for the Air Force’s aging Tornado jets. Also considered “priority projects,” according to Scholz, are the Future Combat Air System, developed in cooperation with France and Spain, as well as the “Eurodrone,” contracts for which were signed this week. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
01 Mar 22. Germany’s defence industry transformed by Scholz’s €100bn response to Ukraine crisis. Shares in sector soar as huge injection into armed forces raises prospect of a reshaped corporate landscape. Berlin’s defence commitment and suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline have upturned decades-old defence, energy and finance policies. The head of Germany’s largest listed defence contractor, Rheinmetall, has seen his industry sidelined to such an extent that as recently as last month companies could not get domestic banks to fund their activities. But German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to inject €100bn into the country’s armed forces and boost defence spending in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Papperger among the world’s most sought-after executives. “Some months ago people wanted to ban us, to say that this industry is a very bad industry, is a harmful industry,” Papperger told the Financial Times. “It’s a totally different world now.” Berlin’s defence commitment, along with its suspension last week of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as it seeks to wean itself off Russian gas, has upturned decades-old defence, energy and finance policies, raising the prospect of a dramatically reshaped German corporate landscape. As chief executives, including Papperger, on Monday hashed out with the German defence ministry how the new funds should be spent and what weapons were available for immediate aid to Ukraine, shares in the sector soared. Rheinmetall’s chief executive Armin Papperger: ‘Some months ago people wanted to ban us, to say that this industry is a very bad industry, is a harmful industry. It’s a totally different world now’ © Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters Along with Rheinmetall, investors bought into contractors such as sensor specialist Hensoldt and submarine maker Thyssenkrupp, as well as smaller companies such as Jenoptik, which makes rifle sights. “Everyone was taken by surprise” by Scholz’s decision, a person close to Hensoldt’s management said, but the chancellor “kind of reiterated what we have been saying for a very long time, that German armed forces need to be properly equipped”. Three scenarios were discussed on Monday’s call between the German government and defence contractors, according to people involved. The first was the deployment of equipment to Ukraine, including ammunition and tents, using existing stockpiles. The second was to bring European forces, especially Germany’s, up to scratch in a matter of weeks by supplying munitions and repairing neglected equipment. And third, the companies were asked about lead times for new artillery and vehicles. Rheinmetall said it had certain vehicles and ammunition in stock, which could now be handed over. Some of the products Hensoldt can supply with short lead times include radar sensors, long-range surveillance cameras and self-protection systems for aircraft and helicopters, which can throw surface-to-air missiles off course by detecting exhaust plumes from launchers and ejecting flares to confuse heat-seeking projectiles. In the medium term, companies are speeding up planned projects, with Rheinmetall considering fast-tracking a prototype tank with a 130mm gun and a fully digital turret, as installed in the British Challenger, which could be manufactured within two years to replenish the German army’s arsenal. (Source: FT.com)
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