Capability
Source · Lockheed Martin: Navigating 2025 with Strategic Contracts
What is the central argument of “Lockheed Martin”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defence contractor, is navigating the year 2025 by leveraging a series of strategic contracts and programs that position the company for continued growth amid a changing defence environment. With a backlog at a record $173 billion – over two years’ worth of sales – Lockheed enters 2025 with strong…
Capability
Source · Rheinmetall and ICEYE Launch Joint Venture for SAR Satellite Production in Germany
What is the central argument of “Rheinmetall and ICEYE Launch Joint Venture for SAR Satellite Production in Germany”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Rheinmetall AG and ICEYE Oy have formalised the creation of a new joint venture, Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions , headquartered in Neuss, Germany. The agreement, signed in May 2025, marks a major strategic move in Europe’s effort to consolidate sovereign capabilities in the space and defence sectors. Rheinmetall holds a 60 percent…
Capability
Source · RTX Corporation Tops U.S. Defence Market Cap Rankings
What is the central argument of “RTX Corporation Tops U.S. Defence Market Cap Rankings”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies) has ascended to become the most valuable U.S. defence contractor by market capitalization, reflecting investor confidence in its diverse portfolio and strategic positioning. With a market cap around $165–$170 billion in early 2025, RTX edged past long-time rival Lockheed Martin and dwarfs…
Capability
Source · Rebuilding Europe’s Defence Industrial Base
What is the central argument of “Rebuilding Europe’s Defence Industrial Base”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The return of large-scale war to Europe has exposed the fragility of the continent’s defence industrial base and its structural dependence on a globalized economy optimized for efficiency rather than endurance. For three decades, Europe treated armaments production as a residual function of the Cold War, sustained only through limited…
Capability
Source · Semiconductor Supply Chains and the Security of Technological Power
What is the central argument of “Semiconductor Supply Chains and the Security of Technological Power”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Semiconductors have become the most strategic industrial resource of the twenty-first century, the foundation on which artificial intelligence, defence modernisation, and economic resilience depend. Their production defines the hierarchy of technological power because every digital system—from autonomous drones to satellite…
Capability
Source · SAFE Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 and EDIP Regulation (EU) 2025/2643 as a Single Operational Sequence
What is the central argument of “SAFE Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 and EDIP Regulation (EU) 2025/2643 as a Single Operational Sequence”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 establishes the Security Action For Europe instrument as an exceptional and temporary measure providing financial assistance to Member States in the form of Union loans. That assistance is embedded in a procedural architecture centred on a request accompanied by a European defence industry investment plan, which…
Capability
Source · Private Capital and the Strategic Rewiring of Defence and Frontier Technologies
What is the central argument of “Private Capital and the Strategic Rewiring of Defence and Frontier Technologies”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The global investment landscape is undergoing a structural shift in which capital allocation is no longer driven primarily by consumer software scalability, but by strategic relevance, technological depth, and industrial resilience. Defence, artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced physical systems are emerging as focal points for…
Capability
Source · Poland’s Maritime Turn: Naval Modernization and the Protection of Logistic Assets
What is the central argument of “Poland’s Maritime Turn”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Poland is undergoing a significant transformation in its maritime strategy, repositioning itself as a key naval and logistical actor in the Baltic Sea. For decades, the Polish Navy operated with ageing platforms inherited from the Cold War, focusing primarily on coastal defence and mine warfare. That posture is now changing rapidly. A…
Capability
Source · SIPRI Reports Unprecedented Rise in Global Military Expenditure
What is the central argument of “SIPRI Reports Unprecedented Rise in Global Military Expenditure”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Global military spending surged to an all-time high in 2024, with the pace of increase reaching a level not seen since the Cold War, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). World defence expenditures totaled an estimated $2.72 trillion last year, up 9.4% in real terms from 2023. SIPRI…
Capability
Source · Structural Violence and Digital Dependencies
What is the central argument of “Structural Violence and Digital Dependencies”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Dependencies on non-allied suppliers are no longer seen as commercial inconveniences; they are strategic vulnerabilities. In the digital age, reliance on Chinese rare earths, Taiwanese semiconductors, or non-European cloud services constitutes a form of structural violence that constrains autonomy and weakens deterrence. These…
Capability
Source · Technological Sovereignty as a Strategic Driver
What is the central argument of “Technological Sovereignty as a Strategic Driver”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The pursuit of technological sovereignty has become a cornerstone of European defense and industrial policy. This concept refers to the ability of European states to develop, produce, and maintain critical technologies without excessive reliance on non-European suppliers. The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine exposed serious…
Capability
Source · Strategic Innovation Financing: Public Power and Private Capital
What is the central argument of “Strategic Innovation Financing”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Innovation financing has become the decisive variable in the competition for technological dominance. The ability to transform research into deployable capability now depends less on scientific discovery than on the financial architectures that sustain it. Artificial intelligence, in particular, requires vast and continuous investment in…
Capability
Source · The Baltic Energy Realignment: Security, Industry, and the New Strategic Economy
What is the central argument of “The Baltic Energy Realignment”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The energy shock of 2022 triggered a profound structural shift in Europe’s energy landscape, with consequences extending far beyond market volatility. The surge in gas prices at the Dutch TTF hub, initially perceived as a transient crisis, became the catalyst for a strategic decoupling from Russian energy dependence. Within two years…
Capability
Source · Technology, Escalation, and Nuclear Risk at Sea
What is the central argument of “Technology, Escalation, and Nuclear Risk at Sea”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The technological dimension of naval power introduces into the Indo-Pacific a series of variables that both increase the complexity of deterrence and simultaneously heighten the fragility of strategic equilibrium. Modern fleets are no longer measured primarily by the number of units they deploy, but by the integration of nuclear…
Capability
Source · Speed Over Perfection: The Pentagon’s Strategic Pivot to Wartime Procurement
What is the central argument of “Speed Over Perfection”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
In November 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined a sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon’s acquisition doctrine—one that places speed and adaptability above the long-standing pursuit of perfection. Speaking at the National War College in Washington, Hegseth declared that the Department of Defense must operate “on a wartime…
Capability
Source · The Convergence of Civil Technology and Defence Industry
What is the central argument of “The Convergence of Civil Technology and Defence Industry”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Artificial intelligence is dissolving the long-standing boundary between civilian and military technologies, giving rise to a unified dual-use economy that operates simultaneously across markets and strategic domains. In the twentieth century, technological flows typically moved from defence research to civilian adaptation; in the…
Capability
Source · Private Equity Eyes Defence: A New Investment Frontier
What is the central argument of “Private Equity Eyes Defence”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
After decades on the sidelines, private equity firms are aggressively moving into the defence sector, seeing it as a new frontier for investment amid rising global tensions. The once–shunned arms industry – long avoided by PE over ethical concerns and slow growth – is now viewed as ripe with opportunity as governments ramp up military…
Capability
Source · The Defense Economy in France: National and Regional Perspectives
What is the central argument of “The Defense Economy in France”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The French defense economy represents one of the most integrated national models in Europe, combining industrial, technological, and social dimensions. Under the Military Programming Law (Loi de programmation militaire, LPM) 2024–2030, the government has committed to reinforcing both operational readiness and the sovereign character of…
Capability
Source · The Conventional Confrontation in Central Europe during the Cold War
What is the central argument of “The Conventional Confrontation in Central Europe during the Cold War”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The conventional confrontation in Central Europe represented the core of the Cold War, as Germany was the most likely theater of a general conflict. There, the largest military contingents, strategic planning, and exercises of both opposing blocs were concentrated. For NATO, defending West Germany was indispensable for the credibility of…
Capability
Source · Spain and the SAFE Fund: Strategic Choices and Fiscal Constraints
What is the central argument of “Spain and the SAFE Fund”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The geopolitical transformation of Europe’s security architecture has brought to the forefront the urgent need for member states to increase defense spending and enhance collective capabilities. Against the backdrop of heightened threats and NATO’s renewed calls for deterrence readiness, the European Union has established financial…
Capability
Source · The Governance of Resilience: The Baltic as Europe’s Security Laboratory
What is the central argument of “The Governance of Resilience”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
The stability of the Baltic Sea depends not only on military assets or technological infrastructure but on a political and legal framework capable of making reactions predictable and responsibilities measurable. In an environment defined by hybrid threats, sub-threshold attacks, and ambiguity of attribution, deterrence no longer relies…
Capability
Source · The Geostrategic Impact of Multi-Domain Integration (MDI)
What is the central argument of “The Geostrategic Impact of Multi-Domain Integration (MDI)”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Multi-Domain Integration (MDI) has emerged as the central operational and technological paradigm of Western defense planning in the twenty-first century. It reflects a profound shift in the concept of power, from the control of territory to the control of information, perception, and decision cycles. Modern warfare has become a contest…
Capability
Source · The Imperative of European Strategic Autonomy
What is the central argument of “The Imperative of European Strategic Autonomy”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
European leaders increasingly underscore the need for “strategic autonomy” – the capacity for the European Union (EU) to act independently to safeguard its interests in a volatile world. This concept gained prominence in the EU’s 2016 Global Strategy, which called for Europe to steer towards strategic autonomy in decision-making and…
Capability
Source · The Historical Dimension of Maritime Order
What is the central argument of “The Historical Dimension of Maritime Order”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets?
Naval power has long represented the primary instrument through which great powers have constructed, defended, and legitimized regional and global orders. History demonstrates that maritime supremacy has never been a purely military goal, but rather a means of ensuring political stability, facilitating economic exchange, and imposing…