# defence procurement
Latest news and articles about defence procurement
Total: 6 articles found
Canada’s Fighter Pick at Crossroads: Saab’s Hybrid Fleet Proposal Ups the Stakes in F-35 Debate
Canada’s long-running fighter replacement programme is back in flux after Sweden’s Saab proposed a mixed fleet that would pair retained F-35s with Gripen E jets and GlobalEye AWACS. The offer emphasises lower acquisition and operating costs and promises local production and technology transfer, forcing Ottawa to weigh alliance interoperability and American political sensitivities against industrial sovereignty, Arctic surveillance needs and budget pressures.
Taiwan’s Prototype Submarine Makes First Dive Amid Cost, Delay and Public Skepticism
Taiwan’s domestically built submarine prototype, Hai Kun, conducted its first submerged test on 29 January, initiating a staged programme that begins with a 50-metre dive and aims for 200 metres eventually. The milestone comes after a series of technical problems, schedule delays and public criticism over costs and performance, leaving the vessel still some way from operational readiness.
France Bets on Swarms: Rapid, Trial‑Driven Push to Field Unmanned Naval and Air Systems
France is fast‑tracking unmanned naval and aerial systems by funding prototype competitions and using operational trials to pick winners, aiming to field armed surface drones and new loitering munitions within two years. Procurement reforms favour decentralised, experiment‑led buying and closer ties between start‑ups and large defence firms to accelerate capability delivery and preserve industrial capacity through exports.
Indonesia Takes Delivery of First Rafales as Defence Build‑Up Accelerates
Indonesia has received three Rafale fighters from France, the first deliveries under a multibillion‑dollar defence deal that includes up to 42 jets plus naval vessels. The move advances Jakarta’s military modernisation and has implications for regional security and France’s role in Southeast Asia.
Germany Eyes a ‘Military Starlink’: Rheinmetall and OHB Move to Capture €35bn Defence‑Space Jackpot
Rheinmetall and OHB are negotiating to bid for a German military LEO satellite communications programme that could tap into roughly €35 billion of planned defence‑space spending. The project aims to create a domestically built, Starlink‑style network to improve resilience and reduce reliance on foreign commercial providers, but it faces strong competition and significant technical and industrial challenges.
Stalled $8bn Submarine Deal Exposes Limits of India’s Push for Local-Built AIP Fleet
Negotiations for a roughly $8 billion deal to build six German Type 214 submarines in India, including full technology transfer, stalled during a recent German chancellor’s visit. The impasse underscores the technical, legal and political difficulties of deep defence co‑operation and leaves India’s ageing submarine fleet vulnerable to capability gaps and regional competitors who can procure faster or cheaper alternatives.