The EU and the Iran crisis: tightrope walking amid growing assertiveness 17/03/2026 | Caterina Tani (reporting from Brussels) Kaja Kallas revealed a conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the possibility of replicating a Black Sea-style grain corridor in the Strait of Hormuz… [read more]

Clearing the chokepoints: conversation on sea mines with underwater technologies specialist RTsys 17/03/2026 | Marco Giulio Barone In this interview, RTsys’ Sylvain Paquereau explains how naval mines from Ukraine to the Strait of Hormuz expose NATO navies—and how agile autonomous MCM systems could rapidly change the balance at sea.

Iran: Kharg Island, a testing ground for the "new" Marines? 17/03/2026 | Pietro Batacchi A potential operation to capture Kharg would represent a major test case for the US Marine Corps and for the doctrinal innovations introduced since 2019 to operate inside the adversary’s firing zone as a Stand-In Force.

DARPA names new X plane the X-76, to be build by Bell 17/03/2026 | Gabriele Molinelli Born out of project SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT), it’ll be an advanced VTOL platform.

South Korea moves ahead on KOREA-type AEGIS destroyer, F-35A Upgrade 13/03/2026 | Mike Rajkumar South Korea is moving ahead with three key programmes discussed during the 173rd Defense Acquisition Program Committee meeting: KOREA destroyers (KDDX), F-35A upgrades, and the development of ballistic correction fuses for 155 mm ammunition

Japan: JMSDF commissions fifth TAIGEI-class submarine 13/03/2026 | Mike Rajkumar The fourth submarine RAIGEI was delivered to the JMSDF in October 2025 by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) while the sixth TAIGEI-class submarine SOUGEI was launched the same month.

One step closer to autonomous C-130Js as Merlin Labs completes Preliminary Design Review 12/03/2026 | Gabriele Molinelli Merlin Labs is working with the United States Special Operations Command for autonomous HERCULES

Exail announces the delivery of the first full MCM toolbox for the Belgian-Dutch joint program 11/03/2026 | Gabriele Molinelli The toolbox, delivered from Naval Group and Exail to Belgium, equips the first MCM vessel, M940 OOSTENDE. The point on the Belgian-Dutch programme

Helsing’s HX 2 simulator at Enforce Tac - Training for algorithmic war 11/03/2026 | Marco Giulio Barone Europe’s defence revolution is going software first. A closer look at how Helsing AI, its loitering munitions and Altra C2 platform are reshaping training, targeting and massed effects from Ukraine to the Bundeswehr.

METIS and TALON: the Royal Navy looking for modular, embarkable C-UXS solutions 10/03/2026 | Gabriele Molinelli Requests for Information signal the start of a couple of key projects to face the threat of surface and air drones