A communications failure at US air traffic control centres forced a nationwide grounding of flights. Although the FAA lifted the restriction after four hours, nearly 10,000 flights had been cancelled and tens of thousands of passengers were affected.
General Atomics is positioning its MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft as a multi-mission platform for European defence, combining persistent surveillance, airborne early warning, counter-drone potential and long-range weapons integration.
Dutch defence technology company Optics11 is expanding its underwater surveillance business, with dozens of navies exploring its fibre-optic sensing systems. The company expects around 35 paid naval trials this year and is preparing for further international expansion.
France has awarded Airbus and Thales Alenia Space a contract worth more than €1.5 billion to develop two advanced IRIS military imaging satellites, ensuring the continuity of its sovereign space-based intelligence capabilities beyond 2035.
