Trap of War

Germany has announced a significant expansion of its Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) fleet. This development, revealed in the 2025 federal defense budget draft, underscores Berlin’s commitment to modernizing its armed forces in response to escalating geopolitical instability across Europe. A €1.48 Billion Investment in Security Germany’s draft defense budget earmarks a substantial €1.48 billion for the procurement of additional Puma IFVs. The financial commitment is structured with €503.6 million allocated for 2028 and €976.8 million for 2029, reflecting a long-term strategy to reinforce the Bundeswehr’s mechanized capabilities. This investment is not merely a procurement decision—it is a cornerstone of Germany’s broader rearmament initiative. The move aligns with NATO’s evolving strategic goals and Germany’s internal push to enhance its rapid deployment and deterrence capabilities. The Puma IFV: Backbone of the Panzergrenadiers The Puma IFV is widely regarded as one of the most a...

The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is poised to enter production, marking a new chapter in the evolution of air-to-air warfare. After years of secrecy and speculation, the U.S. Department of Defense has publicly requested funding for the procurement of the AIM-260A in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget—a move that signals the missile’s transition from development to operational readiness. A Missile Born of Strategic Necessity The AIM-260 program began in 2017, driven by the need to counter emerging threats, particularly China’s PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile. The PL-15, equipped with a dual-pulse rocket motor and advanced guidance systems, posed a serious challenge to U.S. air dominance. In response, the U.S. Air Force and Navy initiated the JATM program to develop a missile that could not only match but exceed the capabilities of the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the current workhorse of American air-to-air engagements. Budget Breakdown and Production Plans For the first time, the U.S...

Thundart guided artillery rocket. MBDA & Safran France has unveiled the Thundart guided artillery rocket, a cutting-edge munition developed jointly by MBDA France and Safran Electronics & Defense. This ambitious project, showcased at Eurosatory 2024 and detailed further at the 2025 Paris Air Show, is a cornerstone of France’s Feux Longue Portée-Terre (FLP-T) program—its long-range land strike initiative aimed at replacing aging MLRS systems and rivaling global counterparts like the U.S. HIMARS. Origins and Strategic Context The FLP-T program was launched in 2024 with a €180 million allocation under France’s Military Programming Act (2024–2030). Its mission: to develop a sovereign, long-range precision strike capability that can fill the gap left by the retirement of the French Army’s Lance Roquette Unitaire (LRU) systems by 2027. The LRU, France’s version of the M270 MLRS, has seen limited numbers and even donations to Ukraine, prompting an urgent need for a domestic replacemen...

KNDS France, a key player in European defense manufacturing, recently unveiled its latest creation: the Arceus warhead. Designed to equip loitering munitions in the MATARIS family, Arceus is a compact, high-velocity anti-armor warhead that challenges conventional protection systems like slat armor. But while its technical prowess is undeniable, some experts question whether it addresses a real battlefield need or simply reinvents the wheel. The Arceus Warhead: A Technical Marvel Arceus is based on the proven BONUS 155mm artillery shell technology, which uses guided submunitions to target armored vehicles from above. However, unlike its larger predecessor, Arceus is a lightweight 2.5 kg warhead tailored for integration with jet-powered loitering drones like the MV-100 Veloce 330. At its core, Arceus employs an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP)—a shaped charge that forms a high-speed metal slug upon detonation. This slug travels at several kilometers per second and is designed to pier...

The United States has unveiled a new class of weaponry that blends affordability, agility, and lethality—qualities inspired by Ukraine’s battlefield innovations. At the heart of this development is the Viper, a vertical take-off loitering munition that’s redefining what drone warfare can look like in the 21st century. A Drone-Missile Hybrid with Strategic Reach Developed by Mach Industries, the Viper is not your average unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It’s a drone-missile hybrid capable of delivering a 10 kg warhead over a distance of up to 290 kilometers, matching the range of the U.S. Army’s ATACMS missile system. This puts it squarely in the league of long-range precision strike weapons, but at a fraction of the cost. What makes the Viper especially compelling is its price tag—under $100,000. That’s a game-changer in a world where traditional cruise missiles can cost millions. This affordability opens the door to mass deployment, a concept increasingly embraced by militaries seeking ...

GhostEye Radar Norway has officially joined the development of the GhostEye radar an advanced sensor system designed to enhance the combat-proven National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). This trilateral collaboration between the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, U.S.-based Raytheon, and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace marks a new chapter in transatlantic defense innovation. A Strategic Alliance for a New Era The GhostEye radar project is the first initiative funded under a cooperative agreement signed in October 2023 between the three parties. While Raytheon leads the primary development, Kongsberg is tasked with co-developing two critical subsystems, ensuring that the radar benefits from both American technological prowess and Norwegian engineering expertise. This partnership builds on more than 30 years of collaboration between Raytheon and Kongsberg, who have jointly produced and supported NASAMS a system that has become a cornerstone of medium-range air def...

GLSDB The Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), a collaborative innovation by Saab and Boeing, was once heralded as a cost-effective, long-range strike solution. However, its real-world performance particularly in Ukraine fell short of expectations. Now, a promising partnership with U.S.-based Anduril Industries may be the key to unlocking the GLSDB’s full potential. The Promise and Pitfalls of the GLSDB Originally conceived in 2014, the GLSDB merges a Boeing GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb with an M26 rocket motor, offering a range of up to 150 kilometers. Its design allows for 360-degree targeting and precision strikes, making it an attractive option for militaries seeking affordable alternatives to high-end missile systems. Yet, in combat scenarios especially in Ukraine the GLSDB struggled. Its reliance on satellite guidance made it vulnerable to electronic warfare (EW) interference, which significantly degraded its accuracy. Reports indicated that deviations of 30 to 50 meters ...

AIM-174B Gunslinger The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is taking bold steps to stay ahead of the curve. One of its most promising developments is the exploration of the AIM-174B “Gunslinger” missile as a potential cornerstone in America’s counter-hypersonic arsenal. The Hypersonic Threat Landscape Hypersonic weapons—capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5—pose a unique challenge to traditional missile defense systems. Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow predictable trajectories, hypersonic weapons can maneuver mid-flight, making them harder to detect and intercept. Their low-altitude flight paths also reduce radar detection windows, leaving defenders with precious little time to respond. Countries like Russia and China have already fielded hypersonic systems, while the United States is still in the development phase. This strategic gap has prompted urgent innovation across the Department of Defense, particularly within the MDA and the Space Development Agency (SDA), whic...

MTO LP1 France has announced a groundbreaking partnership between Thales and Boreal, a subsidiary of the MISTRAL Group, to develop a new generation of long-range loitering munitions. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in European defense innovation, aiming to deliver a sovereign, high-performance precision strike capability tailored for modern warfare. A Sovereign Solution for a Changing Battlefield The centerpiece of this initiative is the MTO LP1 (Munition Télé-Opérée – Longue Portée), a long-range loitering munition designed to meet the operational needs of France and its NATO allies. As global conflicts evolve and the demand for precision, agility, and survivability increases, the MTO LP1 offers a timely and strategic response. With a range spanning several hundred kilometers, the system is engineered for rapid deployment—requiring just two operators and under 30 minutes to launch. What sets the MTO LP1 apart is its modular, platform-agnostic design, allowing it to ad...