Space and Defense

The plans include increasing European presence in NATO command and control roles, filling gaps left by potential American withdrawals in certain sectors. The Wall Street Journal article taken from Liturri’s review.

Italy confirms political, military, and economic support for Ukraine and looks to strengthen cooperation in the defense sector, with particular focus on the joint production of drones. Leonardo is a potential key partner. All the details.

Within the framework of the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Commission will invest 1.07 billion euros in 57 projects in the defense sector, of which 9 are led by Italy. Facts, names, and numbers.

Before the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, the Commissioner for Defence and Space Kubilius expressed criticism towards the weapons manufacturers of the old continent. Excerpt from the European Morning Briefing.

I will explain why the rift between Italy and Israel is not a real political break but only a technical one. Conversation between Ruggero Po and Carlo Pelanda, strategic analyst and professor of Geopolitical Economics.

Germany and Ukraine sign a defense agreement on missiles, drones, and battlefield data sharing.

Meloni has announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of the agreement with Israel. Facts and insights.

Presentation of the book “Space Wars – Conflicts and Competition for Resources in the Era of Private Companies” by Valentina Chabert on April 14th at 3 PM, live streaming on Start Magazine.

From the birth of strategic bombing to the war against Iran, the history, limits, and ambitions of a doctrine that promises quick but rarely decisive victories. Analysis by Luca Longo.

There is a new race between the United States and China to return humans to the lunar surface. Facts and insights.

The resume of the new CEO of the Leonardo group, Lorenzo Mariani. With facts, rumors, and insights.

The renewal of the Treasury’s shareholdings leads to a change in the governance of the defense and aerospace group: Mariani appointed as the new CEO replacing Cingolani. From the rift with Palazzo Chigi to doubts about the industrial plan: this is how the Meloni government decided on the leadership change at Leonardo.

France is preparing to strengthen military spending with an additional 36 billion euros in the 2026-2030 period. Moreover, since the Franco-German MGCS program for the new generation tank is experiencing delays, Paris is considering a temporary solution to replace the Leclerc.

Stock market crash for Leonardo following rumors about the Italian government’s intention not to confirm CEO Roberto Cingolani at the helm of the former Finmeccanica company. What lies behind the decision of Palazzo Chigi? Among the hypotheses circulating in the press are deteriorated relations between the Prime Minister and Cingolani and disagreements over the industrial strategy, particularly regarding the Michelangelo Dome project.

The Artemis II astronauts return to Earth after orbiting the Moon, on a journey that took them 400,000 km from home, farther than any human has ever traveled before, breaking the distance record set by Apollo 13.

That surreal debate on Italian military spending and the need for a turning point. An in-depth analysis by Giovanni Martinelli.

Email hassles for Artemis II astronauts: mission commander Reid Wiseman reported issues with Microsoft Outlook during the journey to the Moon.

With Globalstar, Amazon could accelerate its low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity ambitions and challenge SpaceX’s Starlink dominance, but the satellite telecommunications group’s deep ties with Apple could turn the high-risk deal into a real battle in the tech sector.

Liftoff for Artemis II: NASA has sent four astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. The mission will serve as a crucial stepping stone for a crewed lunar landing, currently planned for 2028.

There is a significant Italian contribution, developed with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the national industrial sector in Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program and a crucial step towards the return of humans to the lunar surface.

NASA is preparing to launch the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight to the Moon in over 50 years. Four astronauts will embark on a journey of about ten days around our satellite, marking a crucial milestone in the American program aimed at the human return to the lunar surface.

As the countdown for Artemis II begins, preparations continue for the new phase of lunar exploration. In this context, the collaboration between Italy and NASA is being strengthened with an agreement signed in Washington by Minister Urso, which includes the development of habitat modules for the future lunar base and the participation of an Italian astronaut in one of the upcoming Artemis missions.

In the Sigonella case, Italy’s decision intertwines technical and political aspects: on one hand, adherence to procedures; on the other, “an explicit message to Washington about the desire not to be involved in the conflict.” A conversation with Startmag featuring General Vincenzo Camporini, former Chief of Defense Staff and Air Force Chief.

What do we know about the activity at Sigonella? Conversation between Stefano Feltri of Appunti and Sergio Scandura, journalist at Radio Radicale, who monitors air routes.

Italy denied the use of the Sigonella base to the United States for a military operation. Palazzo Chigi reiterated respect for international agreements and ruled out diplomatic tensions with Washington, a position also confirmed by Minister Crosetto. All the details.

Italy has banned the use of the Sigonella base by the United States: “Outside the NATO framework, authorization is required.” Conversation with Leonardo Tricarico, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

The EU Council has updated the mandates of the naval operations Eunavfor Aspides and Atalanta, expanding their tasks within the framework of maritime security in the Red Sea and surrounding areas. All the details.

Canada is advancing discussions on the status of the Dsr Bank, a new multilateral bank designed to support member countries in strengthening their respective defense sectors. All the details.

The first two satellites of the European Celeste constellation have been launched: the mission aims to demonstrate how the low Earth orbit satellite will enhance and diversify existing (such as Galileo) and future medium Earth orbit GNSS systems.

The launch of the scientific satellite Smile has been set for April 9. It is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which will depart from the Kourou base using the Vega C launcher produced by Avio. Smile will provide humanity with the first comprehensive view of how the Earth responds to particle flows and bursts of radiation coming from the Sun. All the details.

In 2025, European allies and Canada increased defense spending by about 20%, reaching or exceeding NATO’s 2% of GDP target, with some Eastern European countries already surpassing the 3.5% threshold. All the details.

Ready to increase production by 40% in 2026 Mbda: the European missile group is seeing growing interest from Gulf countries, intent on strengthening air defenses in light of the intensifying Iranian attacks in the region. This is what emerges from Mbda’s 2025 results, presented by CEO Éric Béranger.

Member States have reallocated €34.6 billion of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy funds towards the EU’s most urgent strategic priorities, including €12 billion allocated to defense. All the details.

The European Commission has presented a €115 million program aimed at supporting start-ups in the defense sector. The instrument, called Agile, seeks to support European SMEs and start-ups in the development and dissemination of the most innovative defense technologies, guiding them from the laboratory to the production phase. All the details

NASA changes course for the Moon: plans for the development of the Lunar Gateway have been suspended. The American agency is instead ready to invest 20 billion dollars in the construction of a lunar base. Reactions from ESA. All the details.

Germany’s plans to develop the Bundeswehr’s military communication system, compared to SpaceX’s Starlink model, are raising concerns among some European parliamentarians about the risk of duplicating efforts in relation to the European Iris2 program.

The Russian space company Bureau 1440 has launched 16 broadband satellites into orbit, taking the first operational step towards a low Earth orbit constellation that Russian authorities have described as the national version of SpaceX’s Starlink. All the details

Elon Musk has announced plans to build Terafab, the largest chip factory in the world. It will be located in Texas and jointly operated by Tesla and SpaceX.

Japan expresses concern over the United Kingdom’s delays in the Gcap program for the sixth-generation fighter jet to be developed jointly with Italy. Tokyo is showing increasing frustration over the funding postponements, which are hindering the signing of the development contract.

After years of criticism and financial risks, Palantir, Anthropic, and small start-ups are reaping the rewards of their investments in defense technology. An in-depth report by the New York Times.

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s aerospace company, is seeking authorization to launch a constellation of nearly 52,000 satellites that would provide in-orbit computing services. It thus joins Musk’s SpaceX and the startup Starcloud in the race for satellites dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Paris and Berlin are planning a final attempt to reach an agreement on the joint Fcas program for the next-generation air combat system and thus resolve the differences between the industrial leaders Airbus and Dassault Aviation.

The Italian Space Agency (Asi) has approved the “Data Policy Principles of the Iride Mission,” the document that defines the rules for access, use, and distribution of data and products from the new national satellite constellation dedicated to Earth Observation.

Starlink has surpassed the threshold of 10,000 active satellites, consolidating its leadership in the low Earth orbit satellite network market and widening the gap with competitors, including the European Eutelsat.

The U.S. military official in charge of the missile defense shield project estimated the cost of the first phase at $185 billion, an increase of $10 billion. The three main contractors for the construction of the project’s command and control layer have also been appointed: Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman.

A tripartite agreement between London, The Hague, and Helsinki to explore the possibility of establishing a new mechanism by 2027 that would accelerate investments and stimulate demand for defense equipment. All the details.

The United States is considering a coalition to protect the Strait of Hormuz, but without concrete commitments from allies, also relying on its own military capabilities against the threat of naval mines. All the details on the U.S. Navy’s mine countermeasure units and the role of Italy hoped for by America, according to political scientist Luttwak.

The F-35 software updates are experiencing delays and technical issues while some aircraft are engaged in operational missions, including those in Iran. The Marine Corps jets embarked on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier are still using the previous version of the software.

Ukraine will receive a new generation Samp/T air defense system from France this year, which will be tested against Russian ballistic missiles as a possible alternative to the US Patriot systems.