Finland at Euronaval 2024: Finnish Defense Industry in the New Strategic Environment

11/15/2024
By Robbin Laird I attended the Euronaval exposition held in Paris the week of November 3, 2024. I had a chance to visit the Finnish booth at the show and watch the launch of their report on Finnish technologies in the Baltic Sea presented to the show. And then I…

An Update on Dassault in the Context of French Political Uncertainty: July 2024

07/26/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - The background to sales of the Rafale fighter and Falcon business jets was “uncertainty” due to general elections in Europe and France, and president Joe Biden standing down in the U.S. election campaign, Dassault Aviation executive chairman Eric Trappier said July 23. There was “concern”…

Eurosatory 2024: The Evolution of Land Warfare as the Wars in Ukraine and Gaza Rage On

06/28/2024
By Pierre Tran VILLEPINTE, France - There was something for everybody at Eurosatory, a trade show for land weapons and air-ground combat, which closed June 21. Above all, there was politics, domestic and international. The vast halls and outdoor displays just north of the capital were packed with every kind…

French Defence Exports: An April 2024 Update

04/23/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - Sales and orders of the defense sector of the French aeronautics and space industry fell in 2023 compared to the previous year, while overall sales rose nine percent to €70.2 billion ($75 billion), the chair of the GIFAS trade association told a news conference April…

An Update on European Drones: February 2024

02/16/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - Airbus is taking more time to decide on the early stage of design for a European medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, with the industrial partners looking for a good fit with specifications, Guillaume Faury, chief executive of the aircraft builder, said Feb.15. “The preliminary design review (PDR)…

Germany, Eurofighter and Saudi Arabia: January 2024 Update

01/10/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - Germany has switched policy tracks with the approval of shipping a batch of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, in the wake of bitter conflict on the Gaza strip and Riyadh’s interest in the French Rafale fighter. “We do not see the German government…

Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023

09/22/2023
According to a DSEI press release on September 21, 2023: Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) delivered the most successful edition for its customers, key stakeholders, partners in its 24-year history. DSEI broke all records last week in terms of overall attendance, number of visitors, and international delegations. Attendee numbers…

The Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon: A March 2022 Update

03/22/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - France is keen to work with the U.K. on a project for next generation cruise and naval missiles, while Britain looked determined to field a hypersonic weapon, a French navy officer said. There are 18 months of talks under an Anglo-French agreement signed Feb. 18…