Thales and ArianeGroup announce first firing of France’s FLP-t 150 missile

Thales and ArianeGroup jointly announced on 12 May 2026 that they have successfully conducted the first firing of the new French FLP-t 150 missile (see image above).

The firing was actually conducted on 5 May with support from the Missile Testing Division of the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA EM) at its test site at Ile du Levant off the southeastern coast of France.

The FLP-t 150 missile can reach ranges beyond 150 km and, in conjunction with its X-Fire versatile launcher, will provide a 100% sovereign replacement for the French Army’s Unitary Rocket Launchers (LRU), which are French variants of the US M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.

“This new sovereign solution meets the current requirements of the French forces for high-intensity combat and paves the way for longer-range ballistic missiles with improved capability to penetrate defence systems,” the companies stated in a joint press release.

You can read the press release here.

CSG and FNSS announce strategic co-operation and unveil CFL-120 Karpat medium tank

The Prague-headquartered Czechoslovak Group (CSG) and Turkish defence company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri announced a strategic co-operation focused on the joint development and production of armoured platforms for European and other international markets on 12 May: the opening day of the IDEB 2026 defence exhibition in Bratislava.

Coinciding with this announcement, the two companies unveiled the jointly developed CFL-120 Karpat medium tank, which combines FNSS’s expertise in tracked armoured vehicles with CSG’s industrial and manufacturing base in Slovakia and is armed with a 120 mm main gun housed in a Leonardo HITFACT MkII turret.

The co-operation between CSG and FNSS will focus on the production, sale and further development of selected armoured platforms and related systems, but will initially cover the marketing and sale of the CFL-120 Karpat.

You can read the press release here.

ICEYE delivers MikroSAR system to Polish armed forces in record time

Finnish synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite specialist ICEYE announced on 15 May that it has officially handed over MikroSAR, Poland’s sovereign radar satellite reconnaissance system, to the Polish armed forces less than 12 months after the EUR 200 million contract for it was signed in May 2025.

The company asserts that, according to publicly available data, this marks the fastest deployment of an operational satellite programme in the world and is among the fastest-implemented procurement programmes in the history of the Polish military.

The system, which in Polish service is called POLSARIS (for Polish SAR Intelligence System), gives the Polish armed forces complete independence in satellite reconnaissance, allowing them to acquire imagery from anywhere in the world, day or night and in any weather. Each of the four satellites in the constellation carries a SAR radar that emits microwave pulses and turns their reflections into detailed images with a resolution as fine as 25 cm.

You can read the press release here.

Hanwha teams with Milrem Robotics to target Romanian UGV requirement

South Korea’s Hanwha has teamed with Estonian company Milrem to jointly pursue Romania’s unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) programme.

The teaming agreement was signed on 14 May 2026 at the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace (BSDA) 2026 exhibition in Bucharest by Hanwha Aerospace, its Romanian subsidiary Hanwha Aerospace Romania (HARO) and Milrem Robotics.

The agreement establishes a collaborative framework to combine the companies’ respective strengths in wheeled and tracked UGVs while supporting Romania’s requirement for localised production and industrial participation.

Under the partnership HARO is expected to serve as the prime contractor, providing wheeled UGV platforms based on the Arion-SMET and its upgraded variant GRUNT: a high-mobility 6×6 platform. Milrem Robotics will contribute its THeMIS tracked UGV platform and related technologies as part of Hanwha’s broader integrated UGV offering for Romania.

BAE Systems completes integration of upgraded Link 16 test capability for F-16 MIDS JTRS terminals

BAE Systems has completed the successful development and integration of an upgraded Link 16 test capability for Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) terminals on US Air Force F-16 aircraft, the company announced on 12 May 2026.

The upgrade streamlines the maintenance process, allowing aircraft to return to operation faster.

The new automated test solution is now integrated on the Versamodule Extensions for Instrumentation Improved Avionics Intermediate Shop (VXIIAIS) and the Rackmount Improved Avionics Intermediate Shop (R-IAIS), which enables the rapid on-site validation of MIDS JTRS at customer bases.

MIDS JTRS provides situational awareness and enables Link 16 connectivity with jam-resistant, line-of-sight voice, video, and data communications for sea, ground, and air assets.

You can read the press release here.

JFD validates NATO Submarine Rescue System in RESCUEX East 2026

Specialist marine and defence solutions provider James Fisher Defence (JFD) has successfully completed RESCUEX East 2026, demonstrating the full mission cycle of the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS), the company reported on 14 May 2026.

Delivered as part of JFD’s ongoing third in-service support contract on behalf of the Submarine Delivery Group (SDG), part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, for the UK, France and Norway, the exercise is designed to demonstrate full mission delivery and readiness for a disabled submarine (DISSUB) incident. It was the fifth operational exercise the company has performed this year in support of its global submarine rescue contracts.

The exercise involved the timed embarkation of equipment and personnel aboard Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Bergen at Rosyth in Scotland before transit to Norway for live diving and rescue training off the Norwegian coast.

You can read the press release here.

Rohde & Schwarz and Quantum Systems sign MoU on integrating EW capabilities onto UASs

Rohde & Schwarz has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Quantum Systems with a view to integrating electromagnetic warfare (EW) and counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) expertise with cutting-edge, AI-driven uncrewed systems.

The MoU was signed on 12 May during AFCEA 2026 exhibition in Bonn, Germany.

Under the terms of the MoU Quantum Systems, a key player in the development of intelligent unmanned aerial systems, will collaborate closely with Rohde & Schwarz to explore integration of the latter’s advanced EW solutions into Quantum Systems’ uncrewed platforms.

You can read the press release here.