Key People To Watch In The Defense Sector In 2025

The new leader takes over TAI as it enters a critical period to bring the country’s flagship Kaan fighter program to reality and pursues international opportunities with the Hurjet trainer.

China in September conducted the first ICBM test over the Pacific in more than two decades, signaling that the new leader—reportedly put in place because of corruption in the force—is trying to test the service’s readiness. The general’s advice on the preparedness of China’s strategic and tactical missile forces could be instrumental in guiding President Xi Jinping’s actions on Taiwan and the region more broadly.

The European Union’s first commissioner for defense and space has been tasked with quickly developing a plan to bolster the bloc’s defense industrial base and drive member states to cooperate more closely. Kubilius is calling for a “big bang” approach to address European military capability needs and has warned that “time is very limited” for the region to address them.

The service is drafting a sweeping strategic blueprint known as Force Design. The goal is to roll out a blueprint in 2025 that could shape deployment plans and equipment needs.

Elbit is trying to ramp up production to support Israel’s war requirements and the needs of export customers while also driving an innovation agenda that includes taking a leadership position in directed-energy weapons. The first Iron Beam, being developed with Rafael, is due for delivery in 2025.

The former Japanese vice defense minister will take the lead of GIGO as it issues the first global contract for the GCAP fighter’s full-scale development, expected in the summer of 2025.

A U.S. military command typically lasts for three years. Few could be more consequential than Paparo’s term in Asia that began in May. Paparo must manage the military response to China’s approach to Taiwan and neighbors in the South China Sea through at least 2027, when the People’s Liberation Army seeks to be ready to launch an invasion.

The former Dutch prime minister will face the challenging issue of balancing European interests in continuing to support Ukraine with a stated desire by the incoming Trump administration to end the conflict abruptly, as well as possible disagreements over financial commitments to defense.

After a long period during which Airbus earnings were dented by the A400M airlifter and more recently the space program, Schoellhorn needs to demonstrate that those problems are behind the company. He also must manage the tricky relationship with Dassault over the Future Combat Air System cooperation among France, Germany and Spain.

Warden pulled Northrop Grumman out of the U.S. Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program before it was derailed. In 2025, big decisions loom for the company over the size of the B-21 bomber program, Sentinel ICBM recertification, U.S. Navy F/A-XX fighter competition and, possibly, a decision on whether to reenter a revised NGAD competition.