Middle East   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Deals  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

How oil wealth and geopolitics turned the Gulf into a global arms market

Gulf states have become dominant buyers in the global arms market, driven by concentrated oil wealth and persistent regional tensions. With limited indigenous defence industries, their militaries are largely equipped with foreign systems, making Saudi Arabia the world’s largest arms importer and reshaping procurement and supplier relationships across the region.

2026-01-27T05:11:31.960668-08:00
Europe   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Export Controls & Trade Compliance   Defense Deals   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Did France block EU loans to buy UK Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine? What was proposed and why Paris objected

By AeroTime: Did France block EU-backed loans for British Storm Shadow missiles? Here’s what the EU scheme proposes, what the Storm Shadow is, and why Paris may oppose.

2026-01-27T03:27:07.348910-08:00
North America   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
Reuters • Aishwarya Jain, Mike Stone

Northrop Grumman posts higher quarterly profit as geopolitical uncertainty fuels demand

By Reuters: Defense supplier Northrop Grumman posted higher fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Tuesday, helped by strong sales in its aeronautics business amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

Also: Northrop Grumman and GlobeNewswire
2026-01-27T04:09:45.913384-08:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy  
The War Zone • Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

USAF Drafting Requirements for Doomsday Replacement to Assume 'Looking Glass' ICBM-Launcher Role After E-6B Retirement

By The War Zone: USAF requirements are being developed for planes to take on the 'Looking Glass' mission after the Navy retires its E-6Bs.

Also: realcleardefense.com and interestingengineering.com
2026-01-26T17:09:25.064259-08:00