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14 Aug 25. Germany: Protest highlights activist threat to defence CEOs; further sabotage incidents are possible. On 13 August, the far-left Rheinmetall Entwaffen (Disarm Rheinmetall) group announced plans to protest outside the private home of Armin Papperger, the CEO of the defence company Rheinmetall. The protest is scheduled to take place on 28 August in North Rhine-Westphalia state. The announcement came after the police banned a protest camp that Rheinmetall Entwaffen planned to establish between 26 and 31 August in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia). The planned protest on 28 August (which will possibly be banned) underscores the physical security risks facing Papperger specifically. We assess (albeit to a lesser degree) that this risk extends to other defence CEOs in Germany. Far-left activists previously claimed responsibility for starting a fire on a property owned by Papperger. More significantly, a senior NATO official has confirmed there was a Russian plot to assassinate Papperger (who now has a permanent security detail). We have repeatedly assessed that Germany’s defence overhaul will drive far-left and anti-war activism risks. In the coming weeks, this will possibly lead to further sabotage incidents targeting the country’s railway system and/or vandalism against companies with ties to the defence sector. (Source: Sibylline)
13 Aug 25. Serbia: Clashes underscore risk of violence between anti-government, pro-government groups. On 12 August, clashes broke out between anti-government protesters and pro-government groups in Bačka Palanka and Vrbas (both Vojvodina province). According to the police, 16 police officers and 50 citizens were injured in Vrbas, where rival groups rallied outside the local headquarters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The police accused pro-government protesters of intending to attack SNS supporters. However, there are indications that the violence was instigated by pro-government groups (for which there is precedent Serbia); some members of pro-government groups were masked and possibly associated with hooligan factions. Anti-government protesters allege that the police allowed the pro-government groups to hurl objects and fireworks at them. Student-led, anti-government protests have been ongoing since November 2024 and have largely remained peaceful. However, the incidents in Bačka Palanka and Vrbas underscore the latent risk of violence breaking out at these protests, particularly when pro-government groups counter the demonstrations. Since the anti-government protests show no sign of abating, we assess that further violent outbreaks will likely occur on a sporadic basis. (Source: Sibylline)
07 Aug 25. Meloni presses Leonardo, Fincantieri on spending EU defense cash. Italian government and industry leaders are rushing this week to figure out how to spend a European Union-backed windfall of billions of euros in defense cash as Italy seeks to reach new NATO spending targets. In a week when most Italian politicians were heading for the beach, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni summoned the CEOs of state-controlled defense firms Leonardo and Fincantieri on Tuesday to discuss how to spend the cash. The talks followed Italy’s decision to apply for low-cost loans to be issued by the EU under its new SAFE, or Security Action for Europe, plan, which will see the creation of a €150bn ($174.2bn) pot to be used for defense spending loans. A source at Italy’s finance ministry told Defense News that Italy may procure loans worth €5 bn over five years to beef up defense spending and help push it towards the 5% of GDP spending that NATO members committed to in June. At the meeting, which was also attended by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Italy’s finance and foreign ministers, Meloni asked the CEOs to “create a strategy to identify the principal ways to invest.” She asked them to “maximize dual-use investments” that provide benefits both inside and outside the defense industry, and “seek compatibility between our investments and those made by our European partners,” suggesting a focus on joint EU defense programs. The EU has already specified that spending based on SAFE loans should invest in fields including air and missile defense, artillery, missiles, drones and cyber warfare. As well as discussing the possibility of Italy signing up to the SAFE scheme, Meloni cited a second EU-backed plan launched this year to allow member states to ramp up defense spending even if it drives their national deficit spending over the EU limit of 3%. The government source told Defense News that Italy would not take advantage of the plan immediately since its overall spending has already pushed its deficit over 3%. (Source: Defense News)
08 Aug 25. Scotland at the heart of defence investment as small and medium businesses get a seat at the table. The contribution of Scottish SMEs to the UK’s national security was recognised during a roundtable held yesterday at Edinburgh’s Queen Elizabeth House, chaired by Defence Minister Lord Coaker following his visit to the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo.
- Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) take part in Government roundtable in Edinburgh, discussing how defence can boost growth in Scotland.
- Chaired by UK Defence Minister Lord Coaker, the roundtable follows the MoD’s commitment to spend £7.5bn with SMEs by 2028.
- Scotland is at the heart of UK’s defence industry, keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad, delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.
The Minister met with representatives from eight companies, from Stirling to Forfar, to discuss their innovative work that helps keeps the country safe. Ahead of the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, the government has announced the intent to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5bn over the next three years, reversing the fall that was recorded before last year’s election. This government’s commitment to SMEs recognises the vital role they play at all levels within the defence supply-chain – both directly and indirectly –with a total of £7.5bn to be spent with SMEs by 2028.
Defence Minister Lord Coaker said: “It was fantastic to meet many innovative Scottish companies who play a crucial role in strengthening our national security, boosting growth and providing jobs in their local communities. Businesses in Scotland will be among those who can benefit from the £2.5bn increase in SME spending that we will deliver, helping drive defence as an engine for economic growth – as we deliver on our Plan for Change. As well as being home to thousands of military personnel and major bases, defence is a key driver for renewal in Scotland, with latest statistics showing that the MOD spends more than £2bn a year with the defence sector in Scotland, supporting nearly 12,000 industry jobs.”
Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray said: “We are proud of Scotland’s defence sector and we will always stand up for the industry and workforce. The UK Government’s historic uplift in defence spending will see a huge defence dividend for Scotland which will help ensure Britain’s security, deter our adversaries and drive economic growth for years to come as part of our Plan for Change. Through events such as today’s roundtable we are working closely with industry and supply chains to maximise Scotland’s defence dividend. Our new Brand Scotland campaign will seek to build on that success and help the sector export its world class technology around the world”
Programmes including the multi-bn pound redevelopment programme for His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde will also create skilled jobs – including for small and medium size firms – to boost the economy while addressing the critical skills gaps facing the country. As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, the private sector, including small and medium businesses, are key to unlocking defence innovation, giving the UK and its allies the fighting edge. The upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will provide further detail into future collaboration between Government and industry across the UK. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need.
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