Czech Republic Becomes NATO’s First Operator of Israel’s SPYDER Air Defense System

The Czech Republic has taken a major step in modernizing its national air defense by becoming the first NATO member state to operate the Israeli-made SPYDER surface-to-air missile…

The Czech Republic has taken a major step in modernizing its national air defense by becoming the first NATO member state to operate the Israeli-made SPYDER surface-to-air missile system. The milestone was confirmed after the first SPYDER system delivered to the Czech Armed Forces entered service. The system is produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of Israel’s leading defense companies. Rafael CEO Yoav Turgeman described the development as an important point in the company’s cooperation with Prague, noting that the first delivered system is now being put into operational use. The Czech Republic ordered four SPYDER batteries from Rafael in 2021 as part…

Poland First, Finland Next, Germany on the Line: Europe’s F-35 Year

September 2026 will be remembered as the month when two more European air forces crossed from paper contracts into metal on the ramp. Finland’s first two F-35As landed…

Personal Experience Serving with the Czech Contingent at EUNAVFOR MED IRINI Operational Headquarters in Rome in the First Half of 2026

The Mediterranean is often viewed as a vacation destination, a place of historical landmarks, and a hub of intense trade. At the same time, however…

People Thought It Was a Missile - It Was Actually a Russian Rocket

A strange glowing formation seen over parts of northern Europe this week was not a missile attack, but the visible exhaust plume of a Russian space launch, according to Russia’s…

CSG and Tatra to Showcase Armored Vehicles and Modern Weapon Systems at NATO Days

The 26th NATO Days and the 17th Czech Air Force Days will take place at Leoš Janáček Airport Ostrava on 19 and 20 September. Among the many participants and exhibitors, the…

Operation Vivaldi: Ukrainian Drone Campaign Strains Russian Logistics in the Lyman Sector

Ukrainian drone units have intensified pressure on Russian military logistics in eastern Ukraine, forcing Russian forces to stretch supply routes, disperse storage sites, and move key…

Organic Versus Layered: What the U.S. Army’s XM30 Should Actually Match in European IFV C-UAS Design

The Congressional Research Service’s September 2026 note that the XM30 may receive an active protection system against anti-tank missiles without a clearly specified organic…

Ukrainian Drones Destroy Russian $25M Tor-M1 Air Defense System Near Vuhledar

Ukrainian drone operators have destroyed a Russian Tor-M1 short-range air defense system near the temporarily occupied city of Vuhledar, delivering another blow to Moscow’s efforts…

After Four Years of Delay, Germany’s First RCH 155 Howitzers Reach Ukraine

German Aid to Ukraine confirmed on 5 September 2026 that the first Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 systems have arrived with Ukrainian forces, closing a procurement saga that began when…

Defense Industry Becomes a Sought-After Employer

Just five years ago, the industrial and technology group CSG had to go to great lengths to recruit candidates for management positions. Today, candidates are approaching the company…

Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia’s Makhachkala Port in First Strike on Caspian Sea Hub

Ukrainian forces have carried out their first known drone strike on the port infrastructure of Makhachkala, a key Russian commercial seaport on the Caspian Sea, marking a new…

Six Missiles, Same Stealth: the F-35’s 2030 Bay Upgrade will change the Air Fight

The Pentagon has placed a deceptively simple line item on the F-35 modernization calendar: raise internal missile carriage from four weapons to six by September 2030. Listed…