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Archive for the ‘International’ Category

Quantum Systems Launches Maritime Domain, Introducing Seavex and Subvex

Tuesday, September 15th, 2026

Quantum Systems is expanding into the maritime domain, connecting autonomous operations above and below the waterline with its existing capabilities in the air and on land. With the launch, the company introduces Seavex and Subvex, its first two maritime systems designed for persistent surveillance, critical infrastructure protection and Counter-UAS operations.

Sesimbra, Portugal, 14 September 2026 – Quantum Systems today announced the launch of its maritime domain, expanding its unmanned systems portfolio from air and land to sea.

The launch takes place in Portugal on the sidelines of a major NATO maritime exercise and introduces two new systems, Seavex and Subvex. Both systems will test and validate capabilities as part of sea trials, extending Quantum Systems’ autonomous capabilities above and below the waterline in an operational environment.

Seavex and Subvex are fully integrated into MOSAIC UXS, enabling their deployment alongside unmanned air and ground systems through a common software architecture. The result is an interoperable system across air, land and sea that can be expanded with additional platforms, sensors and third-party technologies.

“We started in the air, expanded to land, and now we are going to sea. But the real step forward is not adding another domain. It is connecting them,” said Florian Seibel, Co-CEO and Founder of Quantum Systems. “With Seavex and Subvex integrated into MOSAIC UXS, we are building one autonomous system across air, land and sea. That is where unmanned operations are heading, and that is what we are delivering.” 

Seavex and Subvex: autonomous capabilities on the water and below the surface

Seavex is a long-endurance unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for persistent maritime ISR missions. With an endurance of up to two months, the system includes surveillance radar, counter-drone radar and electro-optical sensors with onboard AI processing. Seavex launches and recovers UAVs while docking, recharging and retrieving mission data from UUVs.

Subvex is an AI-enabled unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) designed for autonomous ISR missions at depths of up to 6,000 metres. Equipped with sonar and acoustic sensors as well as onboard edge processing, the system can operate for up to four days in active movement and supports distributed operations with multiple Subvex vehicles. It can also remain on the seabed in passive surveillance mode for persistent underwater monitoring for weeks.

Together, both systems extend reconnaissance from the surface into the deep sea and support missions including the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, maritime border security, anti-submarine surveillance and blue-water surveillance. Their integration into MOSAIC UXS enables sensor information from different systems and domains to be combined within a single operational environment.

The expansion comes as maritime security is gaining strategic importance, with coastlines, ports and critical marine infrastructure facing a growing need for persistent surveillance. At the same time, threats increasingly span the air, surface and underwater environment, requiring information from across the waterline to be detected, connected and understood as part of one operational picture.

“Maritime operations have a fundamental challenge: the areas are vast, while crews and assets are limited,” said Dirk Zademack, VP Quantum Maritime at Quantum Systems. “In the air and on land, we have built an ecosystem in which unmanned systems operate together rather than individually. We are now applying the same principle at sea with Seavex and Subvex: extending collaborative presence on the water and below the surface and compiling the information for the operator.”

The launch marks the next step in Quantum Systems’ consistent expansion as a global deep-tech defence prime. The company has expanded beyond aerial systems into a broader portfolio of unmanned capabilities, while building the software, AI and system integration expertise to connect them. With MOSAIC UXS as the common software backbone, Quantum Systems brings these capabilities together into an integrated, scalable system.

Wescom Defence Introduces Its ATMIS Mobile Signature Management System to Market at DVD 2026

Monday, September 14th, 2026

Wescom Defence, a trusted global manufacturer and solutions provider to the defence industry, specialising in advanced pyrotechnics, multispectral camouflage, soldier survivability, operational infrastructure and prime contracting support, reveals its ATMIS Mobile Signature Management system for the first time at DVD 2026. The advanced concealment technology, designed and supplied by BCB International, is being showcased alongside Wescom Defence’s other concealment products and capabilities at Stand C3-L02.

BCB International is a Wescom Defence brand, with both BCB International and Wescom Defence developing and delivering innovative survivability solutions. Together they combine specialist engineering and field-proven tactical equipment with Wescom’s broad global manufacturing and distribution footprint. Backed by over a century of engineering heritage, Wescom Defence creates specialised technologies to address the most demanding tactical environments across the globe.

The ATMIS Mobile Signature Management is a deployable camouflage panel system for multispectral concealment of vehicles, containers, and mobile platforms. The lightweight, rugged panels reduce detectability across visible, IR, and thermal spectrums. On the modern battlefield, thermal imaging, advanced radar and multi-spectral sensors mean that static and mobile assets are constantly exposed to threat detection. Failing to defeat these detection vectors leaves vehicles, equipment and personnel highly vulnerable to precision targeting. To maintain operational persistence, modern armed forces require signature management that can adapt dynamically to complex environments without hindering tactical mobility. Wescom has positioned itself firmly in this domain through its acquisition of BCB International and ATMIS.

As Wescom Defence’s premier signature management capability, ATMIS products are engineered with survivability as a first principle. It provides advanced static and mobile concealment systems that disrupt optical, thermal and radar detection.

Frances Hunt, Head of Defence Marketing at Wescom Defence said, “As a trusted provider of integrated survivability solutions, Wescom Defence is proud to showcase ATMIS at DVD 2026. ATMIS represents our signature management capability, expertly designed and supplied in-house by our highly innovative survivability brand, BCB International. By combining enhanced concealment with our broader portfolio of tactical pyrotechnics and mobility enablers, Wescom ensures NATO forces can conceal and protect themselves, whilst maintaining the initiative by out manoeuvring modern threat detection systems.”

Galvion Demonstrates Cortex EVO HALO Upgrade Pathway for UK VIRTUS Helmet at DVD 2026

Monday, September 14th, 2026

Galvion, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative head systems, power and data management solutions, and integrated soldier systems, will showcase a new Cortex™ EVO HALO integration concept for the UK’s in-service VIRTUS helmet at Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) 2026 (Booth C3-D22).

The integration concept illustrates how Cortex EVO HALO could provide a pathway to extend and evolve the UK’s existing VIRTUS helmet fleet, introducing advanced power, data and headborne capabilities while building on the proven protective platform already in service.

The VIRTUS helmet is Galvion’s Batlskin® Cobra Plus head system, with more than 270,000 delivered to the UK Ministry of Defence since 2015. The Cortex EVO HALO concept on display at DVD is integrated onto the high-cut VIRTUS variant currently in service, but the same upgrade approach can be applied to the full-cut helmets that make up the wider fielded fleet.

Cortex EVO is Galvion’s integrated headborne architecture, bringing protection, power, data and compute together within a unified system. Its HALO configuration, introduced at Eurosatory 2026, is externally mounted and designed to extend EVO capabilities to both new and fielded helmet platforms.

Alongside the deeply integrated Embedded configuration, HALO provides an alternative implementation of the same core Cortex EVO architecture, allowing users to select an approach aligned with their operational requirements, procurement strategies and lifecycle objectives.

The EVO architecture provides a common power and data backbone capable of supporting visual augmentation, sensing and awareness technologies, digital communications and other headborne capabilities. Galvion’s AlertCentr™ software enables mission-relevant information to be managed at the headborne level, including configurable visual and audio cueing designed to allow operators to access and act on critical information without diverting attention to secondary devices. Its open architecture also enables Galvion-developed and third-party technologies to operate within a common system environment.

“Cortex EVO represents an important part of where we believe soldier systems are heading – moving beyond passive protection toward intelligent, integrated systems that enhance capability at the headborne level,” said Peter Rafferty, President of Galvion UK. “VIRTUS has provided the UK with a proven protective head system for more than a decade, and what we’re showing at DVD is how that existing platform can continue to evolve. Cortex EVO HALO creates a potential pathway to introduce advanced headborne capabilities while building on the equipment, experience and investment already in place. For us, delivering whole-life value means continuing to support and evolve fielded equipment as operational requirements change.”

The VIRTUS Cortex EVO HALO integration concept will be on display at Galvion’s booth C3-D22 throughout DVD 2026.

Italy Orders Two More MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers

Thursday, September 10th, 2026

Additional Remotely Piloted Aircraft Grows Italian Air Force Fleet of MQ-9A

SAN DIEGO – 08 September 2026 – The Italian Air Force (ItAF) has ordered two new MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). When the new aircraft are delivered at the end of 2027, they will increase the size of the ItAF fleet. The purchase is part of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with the U.S. Air Force that also includes Ground Control Stations.

 “Italy has been a very important partner for GA-ASI for more than 20 years,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “The Italian Air Force has continued to be a leader in the utilization of MQ-9A to support a wide range of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Italy, over the Mediterranean, and in support of NATO operations.”

MQ-9A Block 5 has endurance of up to 26 hours and can operate up to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters). It has a 4,600 pounds (2,087 kilogram) of payload capacity that includes 3,750 pounds (1,701 kilograms) of external stores. It provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video, Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Radar, and auto takeoff and landing. An extremely reliable RPA, MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and a triple-redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.

Elbit Systems UK Plays Key Role in Landmark Live Virtual Constructive Training Exercise

Wednesday, September 9th, 2026

Colchester, UK 08 September 2026 – Elbit Systems UK (ESUK) has partnered with the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team to use its in-service training systems to undertake one of the largest live virtual constructive training exercises in the UK. The exercise, which included over 300 soldiers ranging from dismounted close combat to logistics, used the full suite of ESUK’s integrated Recce Strike Training System (RSTS). This includes the Joint Fires Synthetic Trainer (JFST), Deployable Virtual Constructive Simulator (DVCS), and Interim Indirect Fires Simulation (IIDFS). The partnership approach saw ESUK tailor each system to meet the soldiers’ needs. 

The Live Virtual Constructive Training, known as Exercise Pegasus Athena, was undertaken over three days with JFST, DVCS and IIDFS integrated for the first time with the British Army. Soldiers were able to find targets using JFST and call in fires from the teams using IIDFS to strike these targets with the effect seen across all the simulators. DVCS was used to provide the synthetic layer where all virtual and live events were recorded, as well as providing the system for drone pilot operations. Alongside the integration of the three in-service training capabilities, ESUK was also able to collect data to measure outcomes and assess performance.  

As well as the use of synthetic training, the exercise included realistic operational situations, including ammunition resupplies, dismounted combat operations and vehicle manoeuvres.  Air assets were also deployed throughout the week, with Chinook helicopters being used to reposition the light guns during the exercise.  

This training exercise was the first demonstration of ESUK’s integrated Recce Strike Training Solution, showcasing the value of integrated high-tech solutions provided to the British Army. It represents a step change in capability for the Armed Forces, allowing troops to conduct live and virtual training without the need for external assets and at a much lower cost than live fire exercises, without using ammunition stockpiles. 

An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson said: “This exercise demonstrated what is possible when our training systems operate as an integrated capability, delivering the high-fidelity and operationally realistic training that our Armed Forces demand. As the first use of our integrated RSTS offer, it validates the concept and the technology, and we are looking at future opportunities to deploy this capability with the UK, as well as potential opportunities internationally.” 

A 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team spokesperson said: “The integration of live and virtual constructive training has added a level of realism to our training that would be unachievable on a normal field exercise. ESUK’s support was important to the success of the exercise.”

FlyFocus to Unveil Polish-Made TASACK Precision Loitering Munition at MSPO 2026

Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
  • New 110-km system combines cost-focused design, top-attack capability and a predominantly Polish-made technology stack
  • TASACK is a new 15 kg precision loitering munition with a flight range of up to 110 km and 5 kg payload
  • A stabilised EO/IR gimbal enables operators to identify and track targets and execute attack profiles ranging from flat to vertical
  • Simplified internal and external architecture is designed to reduce production costs, with the majority of components manufactured in Poland
  • A point-and-click interface allows operators to engage targets without requiring the extensive piloting skills conventional FPV systems demand
  • FlyFocus debuts TASACK on 8 September at MSPO in Kielce, Poland

WARSAW, Poland (September 8, 2026) — FlyFocus, a Polish defence technology company specialising in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and avionics, unveiled TASACK, its new precision loitering munition, for the first time at MSPO 2026 in Kielce, Poland. With its interface built around a point-and-click design, TASACK’s operator does not need real piloting skills to engage a target, unlike conventional FPV systems, which require extensive pilot training.

Designed for precision engagement of stationary and moving targets, TASACK combines a flight range of up to 110 kilometres with a 5 kg payload and speeds of up to 300 km/h. The system has been engineered around a deliberately simplified, modular architecture intended to reduce manufacturing costs while allowing rapid assembly, maintenance and upgrades as operational requirements change.

A key feature is TASACK’s stabilised daylight or infrared gimbal, which provides visual targeting and enables operators to approach targets using attack profiles ranging from flat trajectories to near-vertical top attacks. This allows the system to observe and track targets before engaging them from the most appropriate direction. The system provides visual targeting accuracy of 1 m CEP50, according to FlyFocus specifications.

The majority of TASACK’s components, including its gimbal, are manufactured in Poland. This continues FlyFocus’ broader strategy of building unmanned systems around secure, NATO-aligned supply chains while retaining control over critical UAV technologies.

“TASACK has been designed around what we believe matters most for this class of system: precision, simplicity and the ability to manufacture at meaningful scale,” said Igor Skawi?ski, CEO and co-founder of FlyFocus. “Modern militaries need sophisticated capabilities, but they also need systems that can be produced affordably, deployed quickly and adapted as battlefield conditions change. Our objective with TASACK is to bring those requirements together in one platform.”

TASACK also shares a common ground control interface with FlyFocus’s existing Polaris, CableGuard and Striker platforms. By maintaining a consistent operator environment across different UAV classes, FlyFocus aims to reduce the additional training required when personnel move between systems.

The 15 kg electrically powered aircraft can remain airborne for up to 1.5 hours and provides an 80 km datalink range. Midcourse navigation combines enhanced GNSS and inertial navigation, with radio-navigation available as an option. The modular airframe can accommodate different warheads depending on mission requirements and can be prepared for launch in approximately five to seven minutes.

TASACK is presented publicly for the first time at MSPO alongside FlyFocus’s wider portfolio of unmanned systems and avionics. The company expects TASACK to achieve production readiness in Q1 2027.

Safran Selected to Supply MOSKITO and SHARPCROW Observation Systems for the Bundeswehr

Tuesday, September 8th, 2026

As the prime contractor of the Infanterist der Zukunft program on behalf of the Bundeswehr, Rheinmetall Electronics has placed a major order with Safran Electronics & Defense, building on the long-standing and successful collaboration between the two companies. Under this contract, Safran Electronics & Defense will deliver a significant volume of optronic systems, including over a thousand MOSKITO systems and several hundred SHARPCROW systems to equip the Bundeswehr’s medium and heavy infantry forces.

?As part of this program, Safran Electronics & Defense has been selected to provide advanced portable observation systems that enable German infantry forces to better understand their environment, detect and identify targets, and quickly share critical information on the battlefield.

The MOSKITO is a compact, lightweight multifunction observation system combining day and night vision, laser range-finding and precise target geolocation. It enables rapid detection, identification and localization of targets across a wide range of operational environments.

The SHARPCROW is a handheld electro-optical observation system integrating thermal imaging, low-light imaging, a direct optical day channel, target location capabilities and digital reporting functions. Together, these features provide enhanced situational awareness and support faster, more informed tactical decision-making.

“This new order underscores the Bundeswehr’s confidence in our technologies and in our ability to equip the modern soldier with the advanced capabilities required for today’s land operations. We are proud that these systems will be manufactured in Germany by Safran Electronics & Defense, further strengthening our partnership with the Bundeswehr and the German defense industry.” said Marzell Schiller, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense Germany.

The Bundeswehr is accelerating the modernization of its dismounted forces through additional procurements under the proven Infanterist der Zukunft (“Infantryman of the Future”) soldier system. As the German Armed Forces’ flagship infantry modernization program, Infanterist der Zukunft aims to enhance soldiers’ effectiveness, survivability, command and control, mobility and endurance by equipping them with advanced, digitally connected capabilities.

ORIGIN and WITU Unveil BLAZE with Latest Version of Warhead at MSPO

Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
  • Latvia’s ORIGIN is introducing its autonomous counter-drone interceptor BLAZE at MSPO with the latest version of a directional fragmentation warhead developed by Poland’s WITU (Wojskowy Instytut Techniczny Uzbrojenia).
  • The module was engineered by WITU specifically for BLAZE and the demands of modern counter-drone operations, combining a focused effect against aerial targets with multiple layers of mechanical, electronic and software-controlled safety.
  • The warhead carries a NATO stock number, making BLAZE the first NATO-codified interceptor drone available with a STANAG-compliant warhead module.
  • ORIGIN is scaling manufacturing partnerships across Europe to meet growing demand from NATO countries.

RIGA, Latvia & KIELCE, Poland (8 September 2026) –  ORIGIN, the Latvian defence technology company, and Poland’s Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU, Wojskowy Instytut Techniczny Uzbrojenia) are introducing BLAZE, an autonomous counter-drone interceptor, with the latest version of a directional fragmentation warhead, at MPSO in Kielce. WITU designed the warhead specifically for ORIGIN’s BLAZE, combining a focused effect against aerial targets with multiple layers of mechanical, electronic and software-controlled safety. The module carries a NATO stock number, making BLAZE the first NATO-codified interceptor drone available with a STANAG-compliant warhead module.

The BLAZE warhead is a compact directional high-explosive fragmentation module built specifically for intercepting unmanned aerial threats. Rather than adapting an existing munition, WITU engineered the warhead from the outset as an integral part of BLAZE. Weighing 700 grams, it directs a concentrated pattern of high-velocity steel fragments toward the target, delivering the required effect while keeping the interceptor light and agile.

WITU designed and built the Electronic Safe and Arm Device (ESAD), the electronic system that governs how and when the warhead activates. The explosive charge, directional fragmentation package, electronically controlled fuze and mechanical safety mechanisms are combined within a single precision-engineered module. The warhead remains safely disarmed until defined flight conditions are met, can be armed and disarmed repeatedly in flight, and automatically returns to a safe state if an engagement is cancelled, allowing BLAZE to return and land. It initiates at a precisely controlled moment during the terminal intercept.

Col. Piotr Ruli?ki, Head of the Center for Ballistics and Unmanned Systems at the Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU), said: “The ESAD we built for ORIGIN’s BLAZE meets the same safety and standardisation requirements we apply across our work for the Polish armed forces. We designed it from the ground up for counter-drone engagements, with the safety and control features that mission demands. Partnering with ORIGIN lets our expertise support allied NATO forces, which is a good example of how Polish and Baltic industry can build on each other’s strengths.”

Beyond the WITU partnership, ORIGIN has partnered with several electronics manufacturers with operations across Europe to scale up production of BLAZE interceptors to meet growing demand from NATO countries. In line with the interceptor’s modular design, this lets end users take on a larger share of their own supply chain where that suits their procurement needs. 

Origin’s BLAZE interceptor will be showcased at WITU’s stand (booth number: 2-E08) at MSPO in Kielce, Poland from 8 to 11 September 2026.