Germany

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre discusses the German company’s ambitions from producing more air defense radars to expanding airborne special mission activities.

European startup Stark Defense says it has raised €500 million ($569 million) in extra capital to help drive expansion.

The promoters of the Aero Excellence International supplier assessment program, launched in mid-2024, have gathered encouraging results.

Six European countries that have embarked on a joint effort to meet critical deep strike capability gaps have formalized their plans.

Germany’s army aviation units have begun the transition from the Airbus Tiger attack helicopter to Airbus’ H145M LKH light attack helicopter.

Rheinmetall has signed a agreement with satellite imagery services provider Vantor in the German armored vehicle maker’s expanding push into space.

OHB says it is looking to raise about €500 million with an eye on expansion and potential acquisitions amid strong demand in Europe for space systems.

The German defense procurement agency BAAINBw is poised to formally issue a request for proposals to buy a Bombardier Global 8000-based airborne standoff jamming aircraft.

Germany has signed its first-ever government-to-government defense sale by providing light utility helicopters to the Balkan state of Montenegro.

Germany says planning is underway for what comes next after its fighter partnership with France fizzled.

For its nine-seat, all-electric Microliner, Vaeridion has successfully completed the preliminary design review.

Eight leading German defense and aerospace companies are urging their government to decide on the path forward for a future combat aircraft before year’s end.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is urging Airbus to manage the development of its next-generation, single-aisle airliner (NGSA) out of Hamburg.

Germany is scrambling to quickly address a need for deep-strike weapons amid uncertainty about an earlier plan to rely on U.S. systems in the near term.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says France and Germany are set to agree on new defense cooperation efforts next month despite their split on a future combat aircraft.

Two German companies have signed a deal to advance the commercialization of electric sustainable aviation fuels (eSAF).

Germany’s plan to spend about €35 billion ($40.4 billion) on military space has in effect spurred an industrial arms race.

MTU Aero Engines is urging the French and German governments to take “necessary steps” to preserve the expertise and industrial capabilities created to support the development of an advanced powerplant for a European sixth-generation combat aircraft.

Rafael would produce its Iron Dome air and missile defense system in Germany if Berlin opts to buy the system, company CEO Yoav Tourgeman says.

German industry must have a fair share in Airbus' Next-Generation Single-Aisle, Katherina Reiche, federal minister for economic affairs and energy, said June 9.

With Germany taking the lion’s share of new-production Eurofighters, Airbus Defense and Space’s final assembly line in Manching has not been this busy since the mid-2010s.

The German Air Force is undergoing an intense period of modernization through the end of the decade that will do more than just revitalize its core air dominance role, says Luftwaffe Inspector Lt. Gen. Holger Neumann.

Aviation Week editors discuss how Europe is reshaping its military and commercial aviation sectors amid growing security concerns.

European defense tech startup Stark has unveiled a tube-launched loitering munition and quadcopter for potential weaponization.