Reuters
• Maria Rugamer
The European defense startup says it has completed more than 1,750 Ruta cruise missiles, with production approaching 300 units in October 2026. Destinus says its current monthly output exceeds the volume Europe produced in a year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, framing the pace as support for military stockpiling and replenishment.
Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons
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The European defense startup says it has completed more than 1,750 Ruta cruise missiles, with production approaching 300 units in October 2026. Destinus says its current monthly output exceeds the volume Europe produced in a year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, framing the pace as support for military stockpiling and replenishment.
The U.S. Space Force’s first operational missile-tracking satellites are now expected to launch in spring 2027, nearly two years behind the original plan. The delay comes as the Space Development Agency considers additional flight demonstrations before committing to large purchases of next-generation sensors.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali says Ethiopia has received Russian-made Su-35 fighters, with accounts differing on whether the initial delivery comprises two aircraft or all 12 planned. The jets reportedly arrived a year ahead of schedule, while Ethiopia also plans to acquire four S-400 air-defense batteries.
Firehawk Defense, a U.S. rocket motor maker backed by Donald Trump Jr., said a new financing round valued the startup at more than $1.4 billion. The investment comes as private capital targets shortages in tactical munitions, according to the report.
Ukraine needs to intercept about 150 Russian ballistic missiles each month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, while receiving roughly 150 Patriot missiles annually from the US. He urged Washington to speed transfers from third countries before winter; separately, the EU disbursed €2.86 billion for drones and air defense under its €90 billion support loan.
Poland will establish a European service center for PAC-3 interceptors used by the MIM-104 Patriot air-defense system, according to Polish officials. The facility would be the first PAC-3 maintenance center outside the United States, adding a regional sustainment capability for a missile central to allied air and missile defense.
Three guests and host Mark discuss unsettling questions from their reporting beats, including the dangers of conflict in space and the complex effort to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The cluster offers a broad look at two national-security challenges facing the Pentagon.
The contract revives the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, which the Air Force had decided against buying three years ago. The missile is set to arm B-52 and B-1 bombers, marking a reversal for the service’s hypersonic-weapons program.
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