Via Satellite
• Mark Holmes
NATO has made a series of significant space-defense announcements over the past two months, according to NCIA General Manager Dylan Browne. The developments signal that space is becoming a more central element of the alliance’s defense planning and investment priorities.
Europe
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NATO has made a series of significant space-defense announcements over the past two months, according to NCIA General Manager Dylan Browne. The developments signal that space is becoming a more central element of the alliance’s defense planning and investment priorities.
France has begun Rafale F5 development with contracts for Dassault Aviation, Thales, MBDA France and Safran, targeting qualification around 2033. In parallel, Pegase 2026 is deploying Rafale fighters alongside A330 MRTT Phénix tankers and A400M transports to Alaska via the Arctic.
The Aerospace, Security & Defence Industries Association of Europe is calling on defense companies to remain vigilant following a series of suspicious incidents, as European officials increasingly attribute them to Moscow. The warning raises security concerns for firms operating across Europe’s defense industrial base.
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Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland has begun a process that could lead to a national satellite communications system modeled on Starlink. The announcement, made at Poland’s International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, signals an effort to build sovereign space-based connectivity capacity.
Qatar Airways will expand its winter 2026-27 network beyond 170 destinations, adding new routes, restoring services and increasing frequencies across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. The schedule will operate through Doha’s Hamad International Airport, with nearly 1,800 weekly flights planned.
Four French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters have begun a 40-day global flight, traveling from the Arctic through the Indo-Pacific. The Pegase 2026 mission is intended to demonstrate France’s military reach while strengthening cooperation with international partners.
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Emirates will deploy a retrofitted Airbus A380 on flights EK071 and EK072 between Dubai and Paris from October 25, 2026. The aircraft will introduce the airline’s Premium Economy cabin and its latest onboard product and service to the route.
Ryanair is asking the European Commission to postpone full implementation of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System until at least April 2027. The request follows the expiration on September 6 of a temporary relaxation period governing the system’s application at external EU borders.
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