• A German brigade has started operations in Lithuania, a NATO state that borders part of Russia.
• It's the first time Germany has put troops in another country on a long-term basis since World War II.
• Both countries describe it as a step to protect Europe and NATO.

Germany has stationed troops abroad on a long-term basis for the first time since World War II, with a new brigade starting operations in Lithuania on Thursday.

The inauguration ceremony for Germany's 45th Armoured Brigade "Lithuania" took place in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital. Lithuania's defense ministry said it marked "the official beginning of this military unit's operations in Lithuania."

The move has been framed by both Lithuania and Germany as one intended to protect Europe and NATO at large, particularly against Russia.

Some have warned that Russia might not stop at Ukraine, and could attack elsewhere in Europe.

Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania's defense minister, said in a statement on Thursday that Germany's troops "are here to defend freedom as well as the entire alliance."

She also called Germany's deployment of its troops "a historic example of leadership."

Brig. Gen. Christoph Huber, the commander of the 45th Armored Brigade, said in April that it was being created "for the alliance, for Lithuania, for Europe's security."

The move is a notable one for Germany, which has leaned away from heavy defense actions and spending since World War II.

But Germany's defense spending has grown since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this month that his government will provide resources to make its army the "strongest conventional army in Europe."

Lithuania, a NATO member state that borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, as well as Russian ally Belarus, has been one of Ukraine's most vocal allies since Russia launched its invasion.

It is also one of NATO's biggest defense spenders as a proportion of its GDP, and one of the countries warning the loudest about future Russian aggression.

Lithuania's defense ministry said on Thursday that there are already around 500 soldiers from Germany in the country, and that the German brigade will now be permanently relocated to Lithuania, including three manoeuvre battalions and all of its combat support and logistics.

The brigade aims to be at full capacity by the end of 2027, which would mean 5,000 German soldiers and civilians operating there.

Šakalienė said that Lithuania "will continue to do everything to create all the infrastructure on time, to provide the necessary host nation support, and to ensure that the German soldiers feel at home."

US troops are also serving in Lithuania, something Šakalienė told BI in February she hoped would continue, even as President Donald Trump distances himself from longtime allies in Europe.

Šakalienė said her country wanted US troops to stay and said she expected the US could see "eye to eye" with countries that pay enough on defense.

Šakalienė also told BI that Europe "needs to up our defense spending very fast and very significantly," and that Europe's defense production needs to increase to match Russia's.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a flurry of defense agreements between countries, and a boost in military spending and production across Europe.

• France's Turgis Gaillard is developing a long-range rocket and missile system, a type of weapon proven in Ukraine.
• The company called it "sovereign in its design, European in its ambition."
• The system is an alternative to the US-made HIMARS and comes as Europe builds up its own defense.

A French firm is developing an alternative to the US-made HIMARS rocket and missile system as Europe works to reduce its reliance on the US and strengthen its defense industries and arsenals.

Turgis Gaillard's new weapon, Foudre, is a long-range strike system that looks set to rival the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) made by US defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The HIMARS is a combat-proven system that Ukraine has effectively used in its fight against the Russians and several other European nations have purchased over the years.

The French Foudre is a truck-mounted system is designed to be air-transportable and highly mobile, and it fires several types of precision-guided munitions with ranges between 46 and 621 miles, the company told Business Insider.

Earlier French reporting on the system indicates that it can carry M31 rockets, MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), and even the new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), US-made weapons used by the HIMARS. It can also reportedly launch cruise missiles.

The company told BI that "its open architecture allows for the integration of allied or French effectors, strengthening logistical resilience in the face of international crises."

The company's founders emphasized how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has proved the need for this type of system. It also stressed the European origins of this weapon. Europe is increasingly sorting how best to stand on its own as the US, under President Donald Trump, has become a less reliable ally.

With Foudre, the French company is "materializing a French vision of defensive innovation: sovereign in its design, European in its ambition, and resolutely focused on operational efficiency," the founders of the company, Fanny Turgis and Patrick Gaillard, said in a statement to Business Insider.

A European system

Turgis Gaillard said in its statement to BI that the system is "developed in France with national industrial partners."

European defense budgets are soaring, and there is increased interest in local systems as Trump criticizes allies and suggests that the US might not come to their defense.

French business publication Challenges reported recently that Turgis Gaillard has been secretly developing the system for two years — the company saw an opportunity in observations from Ukraine.

Mark Cancian, a senior advisor on defense and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told BI that while the "system was not developed in response to Trump," the US president's "unreliability as a military and economic partner may deter some countries from buying US-produced weapons," opening doors to new potential customers.

Some US allies, for instance, have questioned their commitment to the F-35 fighter jet, made by Lockheed Martin, though a lack of similarly advanced alternatives and the difficulty that would come with changing to a new aircraft type could mean partner nations opt to stick with the fifth-gen fighter.

European leaders have been saying Europe needs to make more and more of its own weaponry. Among them is António Costa, who is head of the European Council, telling Politico last month that Europe needs to increase its own weapons production.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a host of new defense agreements, exercises, and purchases among European militaries, including the European Long-Range Strike Approach that was launched last year.

This development has seen France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Sweden, and the UK coming together to develop a new long-range, ground-launched strike capability. Turgis Gaillard described Foudre as "part of the dynamics" of that project.

A lesson from Ukraine

Russia's war against its neighbor has led Western militaries to rethink their weapons and tactics, as well as move to spend more on their defense. With concerns that Russian aggression could spill into other parts of Europe, there is a recognition in Western capitals that Europe needs to be ready for modern war.

The effectiveness of versatile multiple launch rocket systems, or MRLS, has been a key lesson from the war.

Turgis Gaillard explained to BI in a statement that its system was developed "in response to the lessons learned from recent conflict." The founders said the system "embodies our commitment to providing allied armies with tools that anticipate the conflicts of tomorrow."

Ukraine first received HIMARS in 2022. It was among the first significant weapons Western partners sent to Ukraine. With greater reach than other artillery and rocket launchers, it struck Russian positions in the rear, knocking out ammo depots, troops and equipment, and command and control centers.

Ukraine celebrated HIMARS as a game changer when it first arrived, though Russia has adapted, moving critical potential targets and employing countermeasures like jamming. But the weapon system is still having an effect, taking out Russian helicopters in March.

Cancian said Russia's invasion has shown that mobile "rocket launchers have proven to be very valuable due to their high volume of fire and ability to move quickly." He added that "the guided rockets have been very effective against point targets, such as ammunition points and headquarters."

Turgis Gaillard described Foudre as the kind of weapon needed for a modern war.

"As armies now detect targets hundreds of kilometers away using drones, satellites, and intelligence systems, Foudre complements this chain by striking with precision up to 1,000 km, disrupting enemy lines and protecting friendly forces."

How much of a HIMARS rival the system could be is uncertain.

It is not clear how many of these the company plans to produce, and there are other rivals out there, though European countries might be less likely to choose them over a French alternative.

The company plans to officially unveil the new strike system at the Paris Air Show, June 16 through June 22. It said that "demonstrations of its joint interface and rapid deployment capabilities will be offered" at the event.

• A Houthi surface-to-air missile reportedly forced a US F-35 to take evasive action.
• The highly advanced F-35 is considered one of the top stealth fighter jets in the world.
• The aircraft, however, is not invisible or invincible.

What does it mean for a jet to be a "stealth fighter?" It means it's hard to detect and tough to strike, but it doesn't mean the jet is invisible or invulnerable.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, a top US stealth fighter, has been flying combat missions against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. During an intense two-month bombing campaign, both US Air Force F-35As and Navy F-35Cs were in the Middle East.

This week, multiple news reports citing anonymous US officials indicated an F-35 took evasive action during Operation Rough Rider to avoid being struck by a Houthi surface-to-air missile.

It's unclear if the F-35 was the target or to what extent the fighter was at risk. Neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, has responded to Business Insider's queries on this incident.

The incident is notable because the F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet with advanced stealth capabilities built by US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, was made to pierce contested airspace defended by sophisticated air defenses and advanced enemy aircraft and suppress enemy capabilities or feed targeting data to other assets. Last year, Israeli F-35s demonstrated the fighter jet's ability to fulfill this role by striking inside Iran. Though capable, Houthi air defenses fall short of the kind of threats the jet was made to confront.

What, exactly, this means for the jet, if anything, is unclear considering the unknowns in this story. But there are aspects of the F-35 and stealth aircraft in general that are worth keeping in mind when thinking about these reports.

Thinking about stealth aircraft

Billie Flynn, a former Royal Canadian Air Force combat commander and Lockheed employee who was involved with the F-35 program for around 20 years, said that one aspect of stealth, the part most commonly looked at, is an aircraft's radar cross-section — something the size of a ping pong ball or a golf ball or smaller for a fighter aircraft like the F-35.

"We can imagine how impossible that would be to detect high up in the air, many, many miles away," Flynn told BI.

The F-35 — along with the F-22 Raptor, the B-2 Spirit bomber, and its eventual successor, the B-21 Raider — are defined as "very low observable" aircraft, and that capability comes from a combination of factors.

The F-35 was designed with stealth in mind. According to Lockheed, the signature gray paint the jet is coated in at the end of the production line is intended to reduce and absorb radar signals. The aircraft's design also contributes to its low observability by eliminating flat surfaces and right angles, using composite materials, and allowing for the storage of weapons and fuel internally. The engine design also limits emissions.

Those passive capabilities enhance the F-35's stealth, but it also features active systems like an advanced electronic warfare suite that can jam or inhibit enemy radars to prevent detection.

President Donald Trump, who said this week he's not a big believer in stealth, said repeatedly during his first term that the F-35 is "invisible." It is not. These aren't cloaked Klingon warbirds from Star Trek, but they are tough to detect and difficult to hit. But no system is infallible.

The US learned this lesson during the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, when the Yugoslav Army shot down a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, marking the loss of one of America's first operational stealth planes.

Nothing is invincible

"Everything is spotable. The idea that you've got a cloaking device is very dangerous," said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and the managing director of the US consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory.

"The most important asset of the F-35 is not its low observability," Aboulafia told BI, "it is its extremely advanced mission equipment package that allows it to spot dangers and targets, threats and targets." He said that's the real capability.

Aboulafia said that being a low-observable aircraft means that there is less of a risk of being spotted and tracked, not that the plane is entirely stealthy all of the time.

The way a jet is employed, such as if munitions are carried externally in what has been described for F-35s as "beast mode," can compromise stealth. Adversary air defenses can turn on their system at the right place at the right time and get lucky as well.

In the case of the recent media reports, the US F-35 avoided the Houthi missile. But it's unclear whether the jet was actually targeted or if the rebels just fired in that general direction and happened to get somewhat close to the aircraft, forcing evasive maneuvers.

Houthi air defenses are "a significant threat to military and civilian aircraft and platforms operating in the vicinity of Yemen," Gordon Davis, a retired US Army major general and NATO's former deputy assistant secretary-general for its Defense Investment Division, told BI.

Davis, now a non-resident senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis' Transatlantic Defense and Security Program, said that the rebels have the "most capable and sophisticated" air defense array of any non-state actor in the Middle East, thanks to Iranian training, equipping, and assistance.

Houthi air defenses include surface-to-air missile systems of varying ranges, and these have reportedly shot down a number of US military MQ-9 Reaper drones, though not any crewed aircraft.

Davis said that although it is theoretically possible that a Houthi air defense system could have locked onto an F-35 and fired at the aircraft, it's "highly improbable" that a properly operating jet would be struck. That's because the jet is equipped with advanced electronic warfare and self-protection capabilities, like its AN/ASQ-239 system, that can detect and defeat threats. Also, the pilot would appropriately maneuver in response.

"An F-35 would've had to go to great lengths to expose itself enough that any system — whether it be Houthi, or Russian, or Chinese — could actually see it in the air," explained Flynn, the former Canadian commander. "That's almost inconceivable to me."

• Ukraine's air force said one of its F-16s crashed while fighting off a Russian attack.
• It said the jet took out three targets but had an issue on board while trying to stop a fourth.
• Ukraine has now lost at least three F-16s.

Ukraine said that one of its F-16 fighter jets crashed while repelling a Russian air attack, but its pilot survived.

In an announcement on Friday, Ukraine's air force said that preliminary data showed the pilot destroyed three aerial targets and was targeting a fourth when an issue occurred with the US-made jet.

"An emergency situation occurred on board," it said, according to a translation by Ukrainian publication Militarnyi.

The air force did not elaborate on what the situation was or whether the Russian targets were drones, missiles, or aircraft.

But it said that the pilot safely ejected after moving away from a populated area, and was quickly found and evacuated by a rescue team.

It described the pilot as safe and stable.

The air force said the incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday and that a special commission was investigating what happened.

Ukraine has lost at least two F-16s before this incident, including one that crashed last year while battling Russian missiles.

Ukraine's F-16s, a fighter jet originally produced by General Dynamics and now manufactured by Lockheed Martin, have been used to defend cities and stop Russian attacks.

But while that role has been important, many air warfare experts describe it as one that Ukraine has been pushed toward because it doesn't have enough of the jets to use in other roles.

Ukraine started requesting F-16s soon after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, but the first ones didn't arrive until the summer of 2024.

Some allied countries wanted to send them sooner, but required permission to supply the US-made jets, which the US was initially reluctant to give.

The Biden administration was worried their arrival would lead to a Russian escalation and that it would take too long to train Ukrainian pilots to use them and integrate them into its military. However, the US eventually allowed other countries to send the jets.

Ukraine has been pledged around 85 F-16s from the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, and Denmark, though not all of them have arrived.

None of Ukraine's F-16s have come from the US, although it is sending spare parts.

Air warfare experts said that not enough F-16s were given to Ukraine for it to be able to use them offensively

Ukraine's F-16s are older models that were previously used by other air forces, and are more limited in their abilities.

Despite this, Ukraine is seen to be performing well with the jets.

Ret. Col. John Venable, a 25-year veteran of the US Air Force and a former F-16 pilot, told BI in January that Ukraine's air force has made huge leaps and its pilots have demonstrated impressive skills.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told BI in February that Ukraine has dispelled any doubts that it could not handle the jets.

"The Ukrainian pilots and the Ukrainian armed forces and air force have also shown that they're able to deal with this new capacity," he said.

Among other achievements, it's claimed that a Ukrainian pilot took out six cruise missiles in a single flight, a feat no pilot had achieved before with the jet.

The pilot's survival from this latest crash is likely good news for Ukraine. Pilots are often seen as just as important, if not more so, than the jets themselves, as they take a long time to train and are hard to replace.

Many air warfare experts say some F-16 losses are to be expected, and that it's not inherently a bad sign that Ukraine has lost some of the jets.

Michael Bohnert, an air-warfare expert at RAND Corporation, previously told BI that Ukraine needs to be able to take risks with the jets, and that "if any of the F-16s make it to the end of the war, they probably weren't used hard enough."

The remaining F-16s pledged by Ukraine's allies are still due to arrive, and Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told BI he hoped more countries would commit to sending additional jets: "More F-16s are needed in Ukraine."

• The UK released footage of it testing the launch of drones from a Chinook helicopter.
• Western militaries are trying to learn drone warfare lessons from the conflict in Ukraine.
• Russia has tested launching drones from helicopters, but its real-world use has not been reported.

The UK's air force has tested launching drones from a Chinook helicopter as it seeks to develop its own drone systems and tactics.

Uncrewed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, have become a major component of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East and beyond.

The UK's Royal Air Force said in an update on LinkedIn that it had trailed First Person View (FPV) drones by "deploying them from an RAF Chinook helicopter."

It shared a video made up of clips showing the trial, including an operator wearing a headset sitting inside a Chinook, made by US aerospace company Boeing, as well as a serviceman dropping a drone from a Chinook midair.

It did not share any results from the trial, which it called Hornets Nest.

Drones are playing a crucial role in many of the major conflicts taking place right now, including in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where drones are being used more than in any other conflict in history.

Drones have also been deployed in the Middle East, and featured in clashes between India and Pakistan last week.

FPV drones are smaller and cheaper than the larger military-grade drones, and can be deployed at scale for both attacks and surveillance.

The RAF said, "UK defence is embracing FPV drones due to their proven effectiveness in recent conflicts, the tactical advantages they offer on the battlefield, their alignment with future military strategies, and the ability to rapidly train personnel in their use."

Helicopters have not played a notable role in the conflict in Ukraine, and there are no reported cases of drones being deployed from helicopters. But it's something that Russia has already been testing.

Drones' ubiquity in modern warfare has pushed many countries to invest in new drone technology, study new tactics, and update their war plans as drones take over roles once performed by other weaponry and by infantry.

This includes the US Marine Corps creating a new competitive drone team that aims to integrate advanced drone tactics picked up from observing the war in Ukraine.

US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said the proliferation of drones means the US needs to rethink its approach to weaponry, as "we keep creating and purchasing these exquisite machines that very cheap drones can take out."

Russian and Ukrainian drones have destroyed weapons systems worth millions of dollars.

The RAF outlined some drone abilities on X, saying that FPV drones can "jam targets, scout terrain, and strike targets — all in one flight."

It added that "UK Defence is investing in agile tech to stay ahead."

In its LinkedIn post, the RAF said "FPV drones equipped with thermal imaging can provide a significant advantage in night-time operations, reducing the risks associated with crewed missions in low-visibility conditions."

This technology is seen as a crucial element in maintaining a modern and adaptable fighting force.

Russia and Ukraine have been using drones to track and attack soldiers and weaponry, to destroy expensive equipment like aircraft, ships, and air defenses, and to fight at night.

Ukrainian military commanders told The New York Times in November that Ukraine's drone units accounted for at least 80% of Russian frontline losses, with Ukraine dependent on them due to shortages of other weaponry.

A Ukrainian drone operator said the same when talking to Business Insider last month, saying that 80% of hits on Russian targets in his unit's area of the front were made by drones.

• Ukraine drives robots packed with explosives at Russian positions and blows them up.
• The robots can carry much more explosives than aerial drones, a Ukrainian soldier told BI.
• His unit sent a robot with 66 pounds of explosives into a basement and killed Russian infantry.

Ukrainian soldiers use ground robots to blow up Russian troops and equipment. These carry a far heavier explosive payload than drones that fly.

Operators control these uncrewed ground vehicles, or UGVs, remotely. The UGVs can travel close to Russian positions, assuming they're not spotted, and detonate. And Ukraine's soldiers can stay safe and far from the action. They are a lot like flying drones, but the systems pack a greater punch because they don't take flight.

Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told Business Insider that Ukraine's soldiers attach bombs and explosives to ground robots, "turning that system into a kamikaze one."

The UGV actions mirror what has been done with aerial drones in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where the flying drones explode and drop grenades.

"A crucial difference between aerial and on-the-ground unmanned systems is the mass that they can carry," Yabchanka said. He said Ukraine needs to "always be one step, half a step ahead of the enemy in terms of the powers of destruction." That's where these ground drones come into play.

Packing a much bigger punch

He said that while the biggest aerial drones can carry mines that weigh 22 pounds each, the smallest ground robots that he works with can take more than 48 pounds. On average, they can carry much more.

He said that just a few hours before he spoke with Business Insider, his unit sent a ground robot carrying 66 pounds of explosives into a basement held by Russia, where it eliminated Russian infantry.

Ukraine's soldiers work with a host of drone types linked to do a wide range of work. There are small airborne drones for tactical action ranging from recon to strike and larger aerial uncrewed systems used to hit targets inside Russian territory. There are also naval drones that target ships in the Black Sea, and then there are the UGVs, which can deal damage and carry out missions like casualty evac.

Yabchanka said the growing ground robot technology allows Ukrainian troops to massively amplify their firepower without having to put more soldiers in harm's way. That's key when they're fighting at a disadvantage against Russia's much larger military army.

He said that roughly 80% of Russians killed in battle are killed by uncrewed systems. The other 20% is mostly artillery — at the start of the war, it was the opposite. Aerial drones are responsible for most of the drone kills because of how prolific they are.

More ground robots could mean a major firepower boost for Ukrainian forces. "Imagine how much more powerful we could be if we could bring twice as much explosives to the front line as we do now," Yabchanka said.

Unlike the quadcopters, this technology isn't widely available to all units yet, but where it is being used, UGVs are evacuating wounded soldiers, firing into Russian positions with mounted weapons, carrying gear, laying mines, exploding inside enemy positions, and spying on the Russians, and more.

An uncrewed arms race

This is a technology that Russia is developing too. Yabchanka said that the question is: who will do it faster?

There's an effort on both sides of the war to advance this technology. The dynamic echoes the drone race that Ukraine and Russia are both currently locked in, with both sides developing new drones and counter-drone measures to defeat the other side's drone tech, as well as rushing to make as many drones as possible.

Yabchanka said Ukraine and its partners need to constantly innovate to keep coming out with new ground robot upgrades and improvements to other military technology.

It's something that requires consistent innovation, as "what was up to date and relevant half a year ago is not up to date and relevant anymore," he said.

He said they are developing so fast that they are getting upgraded on the actual front lines — with soldiers sometimes making tweaks themselves or calling the manufacturer directly to make a request for changes and upgrades to future drones.

Calling on Ukraine's partners

Yabchanka called for much greater European involvement in making this type of technology, saying that "whatever is required on our end is at your service."

Europe, like the US, has given Ukraine billions of dollars in military aid, but Ukraine has increasingly made more and more of its own weaponry as it looks to innovate faster, create weaponry that is designed for a fight with Russia, and overcome shortages in Western aid cause by delays and political debate.

Ukraine has become a pioneer in the development of certain types of weaponry, and European leaders and defense ministers have acknowledged that there are lessons Europe's defense industries can learn from Ukraine, particularly on drones, as they warn Russia could attack their countries.

Yabchanka said that Europe also has "more resources than Russia," making deepening cooperation a win-win.

He urged European industry and leaders to get onboard. "The manufacturers, developers, military personnel all stand ready for cooperation. Just come along; we'll deliver training and whatever else is necessary."

• French defense company Safran is boosting its production of Hammer bombs.
• They've been used by Ukraine to hit Russian targets, and have proved difficult to take out.
• The company told BI it could further double production over a few years if it gets enough orders.

France is ramping up its production of Hammer bombs, which Ukraine has used to take out Russian military targets.

French company Safran Electronics & Defense told Business Insider that it is increasing production of AASM Hammer bombs by more than 40% this year.

A company spokeswoman told BI that it expects to make 1,200 AASMs in 2025, up from 830 in 2024.

And the company plans on going further. The spokeswoman added that "we plan to double this rate over the next few years, if the orders are there."

It's unclear how many of the bombs will go to Ukraine's military. The spokesperson said she couldn't give details on that, but added, "I can confirm that AASMs are combat-proven and used in Ukraine."

The Hammer is an air-to-surface weapon with a guidance and propulsion kit that turns munitions into precision-guided bombs capable of deep strikes and close-air-support missions.

They have been fitted to Ukraine's older, Soviet-era jets, and footage has shown them allegedly striking Russian troops and drone hubs. Ukraine also said it used them to hit a control center in Russia.

Safran said the Hammer has a range of more than 43 miles.

Hammer bombs are a type of glide bomb, a piece of weaponry that Ukraine has increasingly adopted throughout the war, after Russia used them to devastating effect.

Glide bombs are typically older munitions that have been converted into precision-guided weapons that are hard to intercept. They're also significantly cheaper than many other types of weaponry, which means they can be easily mass-produced.

Ukraine has increasingly used glide bombs, including domestically made ones.

Safran has adapted the Hammer bombs so they could be used with Ukraine's MiG-29 and Su-25 aircraft.

It's not clear how many Hammer bombs Ukraine has received to date, but France's defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said in January 2024 that France would be delivering 50 to Ukraine every month.

Safran's jump in production comes as European defense companies increasingly look to boost their production, as European nations increase their aid to Ukraine and their own defense spending.

Europe's overall defense spending has soared since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, with many countries fearful that Russia may attack elsewhere on the continent.

European leaders have warned that much more needs to be done, including countries placing larger orders and changing rules that may be preventing defense-related industries from ramping up production.

Some European defense companies have said that they need larger orders to give them the confidence to make sizable investments, like new production facilities, that would allow them to grow their output over many years.

• Ukraine said it shot down fighter jets with naval drones for the "first time in history."
• Ukraine's military intelligence service said it downed two Russian Su-30s in the Black Sea on Friday.
• Ukraine has developed a fleet of naval drones to counter Russia's navy.

Ukraine said it shot down two Russian fighter jets with naval drones, describing it as the "first time in history" the technology had destroyed a crewed combat aircraft.

A Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) special operations unit said on Saturday that it destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea on Friday by using a missile launched from a naval drone.

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the GUR, then told The War Zone that a second Russian Su-30 was also downed by the missiles from the naval drones in the attack. The Su-30 fighter jets are estimated to cost about $50 million per unit.

The GUR shared a video of an aircraft in the sky that appears to have been shot from below, which shows an aircraft-shaped object breaking apart and falling.

The GUR said the strike was carried out by a missile launched from a Magura naval drone platform, which can carry missiles that the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence previously said would target Russian aircraft.

Budanov told The War Zone that Ukraine used the Magura-7 version of the naval drone and that it used AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles.

The Su-30 is a multirole fighter that can do both air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. Ukraine has destroyed others in its fight back against Russia's invasion.

The GUR said the jet on Friday "was engulfed in flames mid-air before crashing into the sea" after the attack, which was done in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Defence Forces of Ukraine.

It said the strike happened near Russia's Novorossiysk port in Western Russia. Russia previously moved many of its vessels there from Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea, as Ukraine damaged so many of its vessels there with attacks.

Ukraine has also launched attacks on Novorossiysk.

Ukraine has developed a fleet of naval drones that have menaced Russia's navy.

They, along with Ukraine's other weaponry, have allowed Ukraine to largely neutralize Russia's Black Sea Fleet without having any real navy of its own.

The naval drones have also caused problems for Russia in the skies. Ukraine said in December that it destroyed a Russian helicopter with a naval drone for the first time, saying a Magura was used in that attack too.

A spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

• Croatia, a NATO member in Southern Europe, replaced its Soviet-era MiG-21s with Rafale fighter jets.
• It makes it a major air power in the region, and is a sign of the French planemaker's recent success.
• Croatia tried to get secondhand F-16s in 2019, but the deal collapsed over US requirements.

A European NATO member has upgraded its Soviet-era jets to advanced, 4.5-generation French-made ones.

Croatia's defense ministry said on Friday that the last of 12 Rafale jets had arrived, with Defense Minister Ivan Anušić describing their purchase as "a project that has strategically transformed the Croatian Air Force."

Croatia, a country in southern Europe, first announced it was upgrading to the Rafale, made by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, in 2021. The Rafales are replacing Croatia's Soviet-era MiG-21 jets.

Rafales are more advanced than the MiG-21, which is still used by many countries.

The Rafale is considered a 4.5-generation aircraft and has advanced tech, like some stealth capabilities and the ability to launch long-range missiles.

Rafale fighter jets fly high

The Rafale was chosen over the likes of Swedish company Saab's Gripens, Lockheed Martin's F-16s, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, manufactured by a consortium of Airbus Defense and Space, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.

Rafale sales have been steadily growing as many countries have increased their defense spending, particularly in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This week, India signed a deal with Dassault to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy.

In a financial report published in March, the company said that "driven by the commercial success of the Rafale, particularly the 30 Export Rafale ordered in 2024, Dassault Aviation's backlog continues to grow."

It said the backlog stood at a record of roughly $49 billion.

It also said that 507 Rafale jets had been ordered since the beginning of the program, with more than half for export, and net sales in 2024 amounting to €6.2 billion, or $7.1 billion.

Dassault and other European aircraft makers could get further opportunities as some nations eye US jets like the F-35 more warily amid President Donald Trump's criticism of long-standing allies and concerns over future access to parts.

A Croatian deal to get secondhand F-16s from Israel collapsed in 2019, during Trump's first term, over US objections.

The US needs to approve the sale of US-made weaponry, and the US wanted to remove upgrades that were on the jets, which had been central to Croatia's desire to buy them.

Croatia's regional strength

The new Rafale jets give Croatia one of the most advanced air forces in Southern Europe.

Other countries in the region are boosting or looking to upgrade their own capabilities, including Serbia, which has a tense relation with Croatia and has agreed to buy 12 Rafale jets.

Croatia, like much of Europe, has increased its defense spending since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and 3% by 2030, which is higher than the current NATO target.

NATO's Allied Air Command Public Affairs said in December that the adoption of Rafales represented "a significant leap forward in Croatia's military capabilities" that would heighten Croatia's interoperability with other NATO members.

"The transition not only enhances Croatia's defensive and offensive capabilities but also aligns its air force with NATO standards, strengthening the country's role within the alliance," it said.

When the first six jets arrived last year, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that "the security of our country has been raised to a level it has never been before."

He added, "In the Rafale planes, we are gaining the power of deterrence, we are strengthening our strategic partnership with France, we have joined the Dassault family, which significantly changes our role in NATO and the EU."

Anušić, the defense minister, said other NATO countries will continue monitoring Croatia's airspace until the Rafales are operational and the pilots trained, which is expected to be early next year at the latest.

• Ukraine is using ground robots to rescue the injured, lay mines, and attack Russian positions.
• The head of one unit's robotic systems said they can help keep troops safe while evacuating the injured.
• But he also said it comes with so many risks that they're really only used as a last resort.

Soldiers in Ukraine sometimes use ground drones to evacuate their injured comrades, but because doing so is so risky, this approach is really only a last resort, an operator told Business Insider.

Ground robots have been used throughout the conflict, but the technology is becoming more prolific.

Drones in the sky are replacing certain traditional combat roles, and the uncrewed ground vehicles, UGVs, are doing the same, reducing the number of situations in which soldiers put themselves directly in the line of fire.

Ground drones that can evacuate the wounded without putting additional soldiers at risk could be a game changer in a war marked by mass surveillance, relentless drone and artillery strikes, and the intentional targeting of medics.

The problem, Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told BI, is that these drones can put the injured at greater risk, making the army less willing to employ UGVs in this way except as a last resort.

A last resort

When a team of soldiers rushes out to evacuate the wounded, they are always in danger because of the "ginormous number of intelligence drones" in the sky ready to direct Russian fire toward them, Yabchanka said.

This risk has pushed Ukraine to develop robotic alternatives, but despite the advantages technology brings, Yabchanka said that they "do not often use robot-based evacuation."

With UGV technology still in its infancy, his unit continuously receives new and upgraded drone models, each new system better than the last, but he said they're far from ideal.

When a wounded soldier is being transported, the system can sometimes get disconnected because of a fault or Russian jamming, a problem for drone operators.

That can actually create "an even worse situation" because the injured serviceman is no longer with any of his comrades, and instead, "they are in the middle of a field."

"You have no communication with that person to check how they are," Yabchanka said, explaining that at least before, they were with their brothers and sisters in arms, even if it was dangerous.

"Now they turn out to be in the middle of a field and then this system got stuck," he said. That means "we still resort to evacuation with human beings, that's when it's possible. Even though we understand that that might trigger additional danger."

Sometimes there's no other choice

Yabchanka said that evacuating a soldier from the front line typically takes at least four soldiers, and it's difficult because the enemy is watching. Drones are constantly buzzing about.

There are times when trying to evacuate the soldier "without being seen it is extremely difficult or I would say in some instances impossible," he said.

The evacuation team is unlikely to be able to get to the injured person without being seen, and it's very likely that Russia will fire at the injured soldier and the team.

"When we cannot evacuate without being seen, we resort to the on-the-ground robotized systems," he said. Ultimately, "in the vast majority of robotized evacuation cases, it is when there is simply no other way."

Emerging technology

Uncrewed ground vehicles are a newer technology. Unlike aerial platforms, these systems haven't reached all of Ukraine's military yet, but they have helped evacuate soldiers in parts of the front.

They could prove crucial as Ukraine's military remains much smaller than Russia's and its soldiers operate without the ability to reliably receive medical care within the life-saving "golden hour" that Western armies have enjoyed for decades.

Yabchanka said that his unit uses ground drones for a range of functions, including laying mines, moving equipment, and blowing up Russian positions, not just evacuation.

It's a technology that many units aren't using right now or can only employ in a limited capacity, but a host of Ukrainian companies are working on developing it and expanding its use.

Some of the companies working in this space include Ukraine's Rovertech, which makes the ZMIY Ground Demining Complex, and FRDM Group, which makes the D-21 ground robotic system.

It's a technology space Russia is working in, too, and one that could likely turn into a development and production race, just as it has with aerial drones.

Yabchanka said that when it comes to advancing ground drone technology, "the question is not if but when the Russians will do that. So the question is: Who will do it faster?"

"We need to scale all these things up quicker than the Russians do," he added.

Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in September that he expects "the number of those robot systems will grow, grow immensely in the order of tens."

Hlib Kanevskyi, the director of the procurement department at Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, said the government plans to supply 15,000 robots for combat use this year.

• Russia looks set to incorporate motorcycles into its coming offensives, a US think tank said.
• It said Russia was likely trying to find a way around Ukraine's major drone capabilities.
• A Ukrainian officer said Russians were training on motorcycles and they're hard to stop with drones.

Russia is likely readying to further incorporate motorcycles into its tactics for its coming offensives against Ukraine to offset drones, a US think tank said.

"Russia is likely preparing to systematically integrate motorcycle usage into offensive operations in Ukraine for Summer and Fall 2025, likely to offset adept Ukrainian drone capabilities," the Washington, DC-based Institute for the Study of War said in a briefing over the weekend.

It pointed to evidence of Russia training, as well as warnings from a Ukrainian military official and recent footage of Russian soldiers using motorcycles in Ukraine.

The ISW highlighted comments from Ukraine's Lt. Col. Pavlo Shamshyn, the spokesperson for the Kharkiv Group of Forces, who said that Russia was training its soldiers on combat tactics with motorcycles.

Shamshyn said this suggested that Russia would carry out assault operations later this year using motorcycles, the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne reported.

He added that motorcycles could benefit Russia because many drones would be needed to stop a group of motorcycles and motorcycles can move fast and travel a long distance while drones are being prepared and launched.

He said that one advantage for Ukraine is that the loud noise of motorcycles means Russian soldiers would likely not be able to hear the sound of Ukrainian drones approaching.

Already in use in Ukraine

Russia has already been seen using some motorcycles in Ukraine.

An American veteran fighting for Ukraine told Business Insider in October that some Russian soldiers "have motorcycles and stupid golf carts."

The ISW said it had seen an "increased trend of Russian units conducting mechanized and combined motorized assaults and transporting infantry with motorcycles and civilian vehicles throughout the frontline."

It also pointed to footage shared by Ukraine's Vuhledar tactical group, a unit in Ukraine's ground forces, that it said showed Russian forces having "recently advanced during a motorized assault near Bahatyr comprised entirely of motorcycles and civilian vehicles."

Russian training

The ISW described this latest development as part of the Russian command's efforts to adapt tactics to offset Ukrainian drone strikes, as well as a likely mitigation to "the Russian military's equipment constraints resulting from high armored vehicle losses in Summer and early Fall 2024."

Russia lost swaths of tanks and armored vehicles last year as drones played an increasingly important role in the conflict. They've taken over roles traditionally performed by soldiers and other weaponry.

On Saturday, Russia's defense ministry shared footage of a soldier riding a motorcycle through a course with explosions going off around him. It said that some troops were being trained for both offensive and defensive combat.

The ISW said the video likely showed "elements of the 299th (Airborne) VDV Regiment (98th VDV Division) practicing offensive and defensive tactics on motorcycles."

It added that the video "indicates that the Russian military is likely developing a tactical doctrine for systematic offensive motorcycle usage and may be preparing to issue an increased number of motorcycles to Russian personnel in Ukraine."

Russia was seen last year using fast but poorly protected vehicles like ATVs and motorbikes in Ukraine, the UK's Ministry of Defence said.

It described Russia as making a sacrifice for increased mobility, leaving its soldiers more vulnerable than they would be in more heavily armored vehicles. "Ukrainian FPV drones have already demonstrated their ability to effectively target such light vehicles," it said.

Reports from last year also pointed to Russian troops using quad bikes in Ukraine.

Russia leaning further into this tactic could make its soldiers more vulnerable, but it could also create major problems for Ukraine's military.

• Boeing's CEO said its win over Lockheed Martin "will secure our fighter franchise for decades to come."
• He called being selected for the first US sixth-generation aircraft a key step for Boeing's future.
• While Boeing has continued to build other fighter jets, the contract is a big return to the stealth fighter game.

Boeing's CEO said that the US Air Force's pick of its sixth-generation fighter design over Lockheed Martin cements its spot in the fighter jet business. The win puts it back in the stealth fighter game after its Joint Strike Fighter loss over two decades ago.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on an earnings call on Wednesday that President Donald Trump and the Air Force awarding Boeing the contract to build the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, called the F-47, was "a transformational accomplishment."

He said being the prime defense contractor for the world's first sixth-generation fighter "will secure our fighter franchise for decades to come." He later added that the "F-47 win is a key step for building our future, cementing our franchise in the fighter business."

Competition for the next-gen fighter was stiff, with fighter jet designs from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman under consideration. When the latter withdrew from the project, it left only the same two contractors that competed for the Joint Strike Fighter at the turn of the century.

The announcement that Boeing will build the next stealth fighter jet came after decades of Lockheed Martin dominating the stealth fighter industry. Lockheed's Skunk Works built the first operational stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk, and then it was the prime contractor for both US fifth-gen stealth fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Lockheed's selection for what later became the F-35 program in 2001 was a heavy blow to Boeing, which had worked with Lockheed on the F-22, a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The coming F-47 is expected to replace F-22, and it is expected to be ready for combat by the end of this decade.

In 2022, the head of Boeing's defense division, Ted Colbert, said that "fighters are an important business to the Boeing Company" and that "we haven't given up the fight in that space. We are continuing to invest in it."

Boeing builds capable fourth-generation fighters like the Air Force's F-15 Eagle and Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets, but until recently, it had been out of the stealth fighter game for a while.

Lockheed Martin's CEO said in response to the decision that it would not protest Boeing's selection for the NGAD program. Instead, the company is talking about supercharging the F-35 jet, turning it into a kind of fifth-gen plus fighter aircraft.

James Taiclet said on a Lockheed earnings call this week that the company would instead upgrade the F-35 to be able to reach 80% of the F-47's capabilities for half the cost. He said that the effort would be informed by what the company learned in its bid for the sixth-generation fighter contract.

The new Boeing contract is said to be cost-plus, which means the government covers Boeing's expenses as it develops the jet and also gives Boeing a fee that can be altered based on how well the jet performs.

Ortberg was questioned about this and what risk the company was taking with the F-47 on Wednesday's call and responded by saying he would not comment on the contract structure.

He said that Boeing had not committed to any "undue risk." The Boeing CEO added that "clearly, we haven't come off our strategy of ensuring we're entering into the appropriate contract type for the appropriate type of work.

"I wouldn't worry that we've signed up to undue risk like we've done in some of our past fixed price programs, but that's about all I can say on that right now," he said. Boeing lost billions of dollars on the contract for the new Air Force One.

Boeing presented a positive picture of the company's defense business and overall finances in its earnings call, reporting a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss.

It reported a loss of 49 cents per share in the first quarter, while analysts had expected it to report an adjusted loss of $1.29 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG and reported by Reuters.

Brian West, Boeing's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on the call that Boeing's core defense business "remains solid, representing approximately 60% of our revenue and performing in the mid to high single digit margin range. The demand for these products remains very strong, supported by the threat environment confronting our nation and our allies."

He said "the game plan" is to get the Boeing Defense, Space & Security division "back to high single-digit margins."

He said that "the defense portfolio is well-positioned for the future, and we still expect the business to return to historical performance levels as we continue to stabilize production, execute on development programs, and transition to new contracts with tighter underwriting standards."

When Trump announced Boeing's NGAD contract win in March, the president suggested the US might export the jet, but it would be a less-capable version. The US regularly sells modified export versions of weapons, but that is a notable departure from the F-35. The F-22 notably was never exported.

It's unclear what this will mean for the F-47, as it's still early days. Lately, Trump's isolation of allies has rattled the F-35 program. Some European companies have been seeking to capitalize, but that program continues.

Frank Kendall, the former secretary of the US Air Force during the Biden administration, said on Defense & Aerospace Report's "Air Power" podcast in March that he doubted US allies would be willing to buy the F-47 because of the expected costs and the new attitude toward allies.

Kendall paused the NGAD program last year over concerns about the potential cost — some estimates were as high as $300 million per plane — and questions about whether a new crewed fighter aircraft is what the Air Force needs for future fights. He left that decision to the Trump administration.

After the decision, Kendall questioned whether the new administration rushed into the F-47. Congress, he said, needs to ask hard questions: "Is this the right airplane for our defense strategy? Is it affordable? Does it displace higher priorities?"

• Jamming in Ukraine means that drone operators often can't rely on GPS.
• Operators told BI that means they don't always know where their drones are.
• They have to look for standout landmarks instead, something that's hard in the uniform landscape.

Ukrainian drone operators flying their uncrewed aircraft against the threat of Russian jamming are often unsure where their drones actually are, meaning they have to use other guideposts to find their way, an operator told Business Insider.

Directional landmarks can include "weird-looking buildings" or intersections. Operators use these when they can't use GPS to locate themselves and can't be sure exactly where their drones are over fields and treelines that look similar, Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone operator with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, told BI.

Drones warfare is a major part of Russia's war against Ukraine, and both sides are rapidly creating and developing new types of drones and counter-drone technology. The countermeasures include electronic warfare like jamming, which can target connections between the drone and its operator or the aircraft's GPS navigation system.

GPS, a satellite-based navigation system, is used in munitions, drones, and civilian technology like digital maps. It plays an essential function in military systems and civilian society, but military leaders are increasingly coming to terms with the reality that modern battlefields may be GPS-denied environments.

Weapons that rely on GPS, including sophisticated US weapons, have run into problems on Ukrainian battlefields.

"At the front line, there is literally no GPS," Zhluktenko said. "So a key issue is that when you're flying with no GPS, the drone thinks that he's in one position while, in fact, he's in completely another position."

Electronic warfare can make location data unreliable, and wind and other factors can knock a drone off course, out of sync with the operator's expectations.

Without GPS, operators have to look at what their drone's camera is showing them and compare it to satellite imagery and maps to figure out where it is.

"And that's why you have to look at the visual markers that you have from the camera: a lake, some weird-looking building, weird intersection, and you just discuss all those markers and use them to navigate through the front line basically."

"The operator, he's looking at the camera, looking at the map, and figuring out where the drone is and where to go next," he said. That's not an easy task, and in some sectors of the front, this can be extremely difficult.

Eastern Ukraine, where most of the fighting is taking place, is very flat and has a largely uniform landscape, making it hard for operators to find those standout features and learn where they are.

Zhluktenko said that in the east of the country, "one of the key issues is that all of those places, they look exactly the same. It's the same kind of field, the same kind of forest, and there are literally no visual markers to figure out where you're at."

The flat landscape has also made other parts of warfare more difficult, like tank and armored assaults. Drones can see them coming from far off.

Another Ukrainian drone operator, who spoke to BI on the condition of anonymity, shared similar experiences, explaining that without GPS, drone operators "have to get oriented using benchmarks." They said that those can include "a building or a lake or a river or some house."

Drones have been used in this war more than in any other war throughout history. From quadcopters to octocopters to large fixed-wing aircraft, drones are running reconnaissance operations, collecting targeting data, dropping bombs, and exploding on targets, and that's just the aerial ones.

These relatively cheap weapons have eliminated assets worth millions of dollars and destroyed targets far from the front. They're radically changing warfare.

And they have been key for Ukraine, which has suffered from shortages of other weaponry. Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen, the commander in chief in Denmark, a significant Ukrainian partner, said this month that attack drones account for more than 70% of Ukrainian kills.

The proliferation of drones means that Russian and Ukrainian industries are in a race to find ways to jam and stop the other country's drones. They are also developing new drones that are resistant to or able to overcome those efforts.

New drone systems include fiber-optic drones, which have a cable between the operator and the drone that prevents them from being jammed, and AI-enabled drones.

• NATO has ramped up its presence in the Baltic Sea, sensing a threat from Russia.
• Countries that border the strategic waters are also ordering more vessels.
• The sea is important both to Russia and to NATO.

NATO countries that share a strategically important sea with Russia have boosted their presence there and are buying more warships, as they eye Russia warily.

Denmark, which sits at the mouth of the Baltic Sea, announced plans to buy dozens more ships amid rising threats in the Baltic and the Arctic.

The Baltic Sea is a major trade and telecomms route that has seen increased patrols and alleged sabotages of undersea cables since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many European officials say they believe Russia is behind the severing of cables.

Lithuania, which borders Russia and the sea, announced this month that it is buying two new attack boats. Poland is also building new frigates and is planning to buy submarines. Estonia, which has only eight ships and one of the world's smallest navies, aims to purchase up to 12 new vessels.

Sweden, which joined NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine, is also procuring four more surface vessels.

Much of Sweden's military was designed with a fight against Russia in mind, and it has even issued its citizens a booklet advising them about how to prepare for such a war.

Pål Jonson, Sweden's defense minister, told BI in February that Sweden is "in the process also of procuring four new surface vessels," saying they will "be significantly bigger" than its existing Visby class corvettes.

Bryan Clark, a naval operations expert at the Hudson Institute who served on the US Navy headquarters staff, said the vessels, combined with Sweden's submarines, would be "very useful for closing off the Baltic Sea if they wanted to, using the combination of the submarines and those surface combatants."

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration said last year that two of the ships were planned to be delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces in 2030.

The country's admission to NATO boosted the alliance's maritime presence, particularly in the Baltic Sea, which is flanked by countries including Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

Russia's naval presence in the Baltic as of December 2023 included one attack submarine, five guided missile destroyers, one guided missile frigate, and 35 smaller ships, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

However, Russia moves its naval assets around, changing what is based in each port.

Many alliance members have started calling the Baltic the "NATO Sea," after Sweden and neighboring Finland joined NATO.

Sweden brings submarine capabilities that few other NATO members in the region have. Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Finland, and Lithuania have no submarines, while Poland has just one.

Sweden's submarines are also well suited for the Baltic Sea in particular, according to naval warfare experts.

Steven Horrell, a former US naval intelligence officer and now a warfare expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told BI that Sweden's small and quiet submarines are perfect for a sea with "smaller inlets, small islands, small shallow waters."

Jonson said Sweden could bring "unique capabilities" to NATO's operations in the Baltic Sea, underwater and on the surface.

Sweden also knows the sea well: Jonson described operating there as "something we've been doing for hundreds of years, and we like to think that we know the Baltic Sea inside out."

He said "a lot of things" were being done to protect critical infrastructure on the seabed, adding that Sweden was using its own navy and coast guard, but NATO had also stepped up its efforts.

Sweden is part of NATO's Baltic Sentry operation, which has put more ships and control vessels in the sea. But Jonson said more could be done.

Sweden's defense minister warned last year that, even though Russia's forces were "tied up" in Ukraine, "We cannot rule out a Russian attack on our country."

In addition to boosting defense spending, Sweden is giving Ukraine its biggest-ever support package this year, worth about $1.6 billion.

Jonson described that as a message to its allies: "We have to all step up and provide more assistance to Ukraine."

He called supporting Ukraine "the right thing to do and the smart thing to do because it's really also an investment into our own security because the stakes before us are enormous."

• Denmark said it will send soldiers to Ukraine for training to learn from real-world combat.
• Unarmed troops will go to Western Ukraine to learn drone warfare, Denmark's commander in chief said.
• Russia responded that the location of personnel and equipment would be a "legitimate target."

Denmark is planning to send some of its soldiers to Ukraine so they can learn from Ukraine's experience fighting Russia, and Russia said they would be legitimate military targets.

Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen, Denmark's commander in chief, told state broadcaster TV 2 that unarmed Danish troops will be sent to learn drone warfare.

He said the troops would be stationed in Western Ukraine, which is far from the front lines but is still subject to some Russian long-range missile attacks.

"We're sending some teams down to see what experiences the Ukrainians have had — first-hand," Boysen said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Kyiv Independent.

"They are not going there to actively participate in the war," he added.

Boysen said operators and instructors would take courses that last one to two weeks, and the training would start as soon as possible, potentially this summer. He said it had not yet been decided how many troops would be sent.

Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, told TV 2 that the move was a provocation and said it would "drag Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine," per the Kyiv Independent's translation.

He said that facilities "including headquarters, training and education centers, as well as locations of military personnel and military equipment, both deep inside Ukrainian territory and on the front line, are a legitimate target."

Russia has described other Western assets in Ukraine, like a plant for German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, as legitimate military targets, but has not had any reported or confirmed strikes on them.

Boysen said Ukraine has strong air raid warning systems and shelters, and said he spent time in a shelter in Kyiv when visiting Ukraine.

Learning from the war

Ukraine has become a world leader in drone warfare, rapidly innovating new tactics, drone types, and countermeasures.

Western nations have paid close attention.

Boysen said that in the 42 years he's been in the armed forces, he's never seen things develop as quickly as they have with uncrewed systems and tactics.

"We can learn a lot from the combat experience they have gained in Ukraine," Boysen said. "It is clear that we are relying on their experience to become better in combat."

He also said the project started with an invitation from Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Drones have been used in Ukraine more than in any other conflict in history. Boysen said attack drones account for more than 70% of Ukrainian kills.

Ukraine is also making most of its own; it said more than 96% of the 1.5 million drones it bought last year were of Ukrainian origin.

A future conflict

A conflict between Russia and the West would likely look very different from the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine's reliance on drones has been partly driven by its shortages of other weaponry and defenses, and by it having a much smaller military than Russia.

But most warfare experts agree that drones will be a key part of any future conflict.

The West is also adopting lessons far beyond drones.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told Business Insider in February that the West can learn lessons from Ukraine, including about how to make weapons faster.

"From the armed forces, we have quite much to learn, especially on the tactics," he said.

Denmark has already increased its defense spending, warning, like many other European nations, that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent.

It is also the second-biggest giver of aid to Ukraine as a proportion of its GDP, and has played a leading role in giving Ukraine key weapons, like F-16 fighter jets.

Poulsen said allies should step up their support to Ukraine further: "We should be able to give Ukraine what they will need in the future."

• There are so many drones in Ukraine that soldiers can easily find themselves confused about which side they belong to.
• An operator told BI that sometimes soldiers panic and jam everything.
• He said, "they're scared" and unsure if a drone flying at them is Russian or Ukrainian.

Some soldiers in Ukraine get so confused by all the drones in the sky that they panic and jam everything, a drone operator shared with Business Insider.

Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone operator with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, told BI that telling drones apart is "a big problem" as there are so many drones, and many are "technologically very, very similar."

"Imagine yourself being an infantry guy," he said, explaining that "you are seeing an FPV drone flying at you, and you literally have no idea whether that is a Russian one that just came from behind or a Ukrainian."

"So there are a lot of cases happening when Ukrainian guys, the infantry, in their position, they have an EW system and they literally click all of the frequencies to be jammed because they're scared."

A confusing high-tech war

The Ukraine war is a high-tech fight involving a range of robotic technologies, but how that fight plays out "depends on human beings."

"There will always be an issue just because not everyone is an expert in technology, and it's hard," Zhluktenko said. "Let's say you have a guy who never had a smartphone sitting in the infantry in the trench, right? And he's supposed to understand that there is a friend or foe FPV drone flying at him and he has to put this specific frequency on the jammer. It's a mess."

So, instead of jamming a specific frequency, he just jams everything, hindering not just enemy drones but friendly ones as well. There have been reports of Ukrainian forces accidentally jamming their own drones.

Drones, especially small uncrewed aerial systems like the FPV quadcopter platforms, have been used more in Russia's invasion of Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and an electronic warfare battle has emerged to defeat them.

Russia and Ukraine both try to jam each other's drones to break the connection between the operator and the drone.

Although some drones like fiber-optic systems or AI-driven platforms are largely immune to enemy jamming, most drones are connected to the operaters by radio frequencies that can be flooded with noise. As electronic warfare countermeasures have become more prolific, so have efforts to stop jamming efforts.

A cluttered battlespace

BI has seen combat footage from the war, and the confusion about drones is real, especially when there are dozens flying overhead. "Whose drone is that?" and "Is that one of ours?" are questions that have been shouted many times over the sounds of gunfire.

A US veteran fighting for Ukraine told BI last year that he could not tell which side a drone above him belonged to until it dropped a grenade. Then he had to start running.

Another Ukrainian drone operator, who spoke to BI on the condition of anonymity, said amid the confusion, infantry sometimes attempts to shoot down every drone they see.

Zhluktenko said some Russian drones can be easy to identify. Russia makes far fewer drone types than Ukraine, and he said that makes it easier for Ukraine to learn to identify those drones and how to defeat them.

But sometimes, when they're rapidly buzzing by overhead amid distractions like other enemy activity, it can be harder to sort out which one belongs to which side.

Zhluktenko said that with most drones, "they all sound the same, and they all look the same, really. And they have the same radio frequency signature and anything."

Both Ukraine and Russia use some of the same types of drones, like the Mavic drones from Chinese company DJI. And the radio frequencies get so crowded that operators sometimes unintentionally see other operators' drone feeds.

Operators try to avoid situations like mass jamming because that doesn't help, especially given the importance of still being able to fly their side's drones. Zhluktenko said that drone operators try to coordinate with other soldiers to tell them when they are going to fly along the front line or through areas where the Ukrainian soldiers are.

He said that they send activity notifcations using messaging apps like Signal, explaining "we have a group chat of coordinating small aviation in that specific sector."

A technological arms race

Russia and Ukraine are engaged in an arms race, striving for supremacy in drone technology and electronic warfare countermeasures.

Drones have been used to monitor and locate enemy troops and equipment, launch attacks on soldiers and weaponry, and destroy equipment worth millions of dollars at a fraction of the cost.

Ukraine's defense minister said in February that his country was winning the race and had become the world's largest producer of tactical and strategic drones.

Russia is working to increase its domestic production as well.

Ukraine is now making most of its own drones, and its defense industry is booming. That self-sustainability is key as the US under President Donald Trump has become less reliable.

Zhluktenko said he will keep fighting Russia, regardless of US support levels.

"I do not think that some people in the United States are able to affect whether I want to fight for my home or my family," he said. "At the same time, it's kind of sad that because I know a lot of great Americans, I'm proud to call them friends."

He said that he saw the brutal ways Ukrainians living in parts of the country occupied by Russia have been treated. "So I know that I just don't want this to happen to my home next."

• A couple of NATO allies are exploring alternatives to the F-35 stealth fighter.
• A handful of countries that operate the aircraft told BI that they are still committed to the jet.
• Analysts said there aren't many good reasons to walk away from the program just yet.

The Trump administration stirred up some turbulence for the F-35 stealth fighter program, but even though a couple of allies have expressed uncertainty, there hasn't been a wave of partners jumping ship, at least not yet.

The Trump administration's dismissive attitude toward Europe's defense and other tensions saw Canada and Portugal reconsider their interest in the F-35 stealth fighter jet — a fifth-generation plane made by US defense giant Lockheed Martin and one of America's top weapons exports.

It opened the door to a possible European alternative to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Saab has signaled that there are talks underway about the JAS 39 Gripen fighter.

Other countries that operate the F-35 told Business Insider that they have no plans to walk away from the platform right now. Some emphasized their commitment to the fighter and desire to preserve the close defense cooperation with the US.

Lockheed has said that F-35 sales matters are between the US government and buyers.

The F-35 is in service with militaries around the world and has seen extensive combat experience since its first flight roughly 20 years ago. The world's most expensive weapons program is grappling with maintenance and sustainability challenges, but it is considered a top fifth-generation fighter.

Portugal's defense minister said last month that it should reconsider replacing its F-16s with F-35s. He said the US stance on security issues is concerning. Shortly after, Canada's defense chief said Ottawa would look into possible F-35 alternatives amid tensions with the Trump administration over tariffs and other threats.

Both Portugal and Canada are NATO allies, although Lisbon is not currently an F-35 customer. Ottawa, meanwhile, is an original program participant, which puts it in a somewhat unique position.

A Canadian defense ministry spokesperson previously told BI the country is not canceling its planned F-35 procurement; aircraft deliveries are set to begin next year. They said that the military is "in the early stages of scoping the review in a way that is both efficient and thorough."

So far, Portugal and Canada are the only two countries to publicly suggest they could pivot away. The defense ministries of four F-35 program participants — the UK, Australia, Denmark, and the Netherlands — expressed their continued support for the plane in statements to BI last month.

The UK said that the F-35 is part of its new defense industrial strategy. Australia said it was "committed to continued investment" in the aircraft. Denmark and the Netherlands specifically highlighted their close cooperation with the US and their intentions to preserve the relationship.

Poland, another customer, said its F-35 program will continue on schedule. A defense ministry spokesperson told BI: "Currently, there are no decisions on the possible termination of the agreements signed with the American side."

Germany, likewise, has signaled it is sticking with the program as well. Berlin is waiting for an order of 35 F-35s.

Sticking with the F-35 for now

Analysts pointed to several reasons why countries are staying with the F-35, among them being the commitment to the program and the amount of work that would be required to pivot away from the aircraft to something new.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and managing director of the US consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, explained that many countries already have a large number of F-35s they've ordered and have paid for the planes even if they haven't yet been delivered.

"It's too late to turn back. What can they say?" he told BI.

Aboulafia also said that the F-35 is a better fighter than any of its competition (like the Eurofighter Typhoon jet), and allies would need "very strong reasons" to abandon the aircraft.

Increasingly capable surface-to-air missile systems and fighter upgrades make fifth-generation capabilities appealing, especially as sixth-gen capabilities are still years away.

The contract for the first US sixth-gen fighter aircraft, the F-47, was only recently awarded. And despite claims to the contrary, drone technology isn't to the point that it can replace sophisticated crewed fighters.

Unlike the fourth-generation fighters, the F-35 features all-aspect stealth, advanced avionics, high-end sensors, and networking solutions, giving the jet the ability to execute a range of missions, from air-to-air combat to strike, and also quarterback a fight.

The jet comes in three variants. The F-35A features a cannon, the F-35B is capable of short-takeoff/vertical landing that is useful for amphibious assault ships and some European aircraft carriers, and the F-35C is built for US Navy carrier operations.

Allies overseas operate the A and B variants. Japan has an order for over 100 F-35As and more than 40 F-35Bs, which can be operated from its Izumo-class destroyer vessels. The UK has bought Bs for its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

US allies and partners have been able to find key combat solutions for a wide range of missions using the F-35's capabilities. Israel, for example, demonstrated the F-35's combat power in impactful strikes on Iran.

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor on defense and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the F-35's maintenance, training, and parts supply process are too extensive and expensive for a country to change plans on a dime.

"Most countries struggle to maintain a single fighter aircraft. They could not support two different supply chains and training pipelines," Cancian told BI.

While other countries have yet to abandon the F-35 program, they might possibly decide to do so down the road if a more viable alternative presents itself. Right now, though, the jet is really the only fifth-generation aircraft in town, the only option available to the US and its allies.

Aboulafia said some F-35 customers may still have a question mark looming over them. He stressed that the bigger issue is that larger customers still buying F-35s, like the UK and Japan, could shift their focus to other multinational efforts to develop fighter aircraft.

Two potential examples are the Global Combat Air Programme, a project led by the UK, Italy, and Japan to jointly build a sixth-generation fighter, and the KAI KF-21 Boramae, a South Korean-led initiative.

• Sweden said it possesses unique abilities to strengthen the NATO alliance.
• Its defense minister singled out its submarines to Business Insider.
• They are quiet, small, and can stay down for a long time, ideal for the Baltic Sea.

Sweden's defense minister told Business Insider that his country, the newest NATO ally, has "unique capabilities to strengthen the alliance."

Pål Jonson highlighted Sweden's "sub-arctic capabilities" and singled out Swedish submarines operating in the Baltic Sea.

Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, abandoning decades of neutrality in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Its military has been largely built with a threat from Russia in mind, and it is now one of many European countries warning Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent.

Sweden's navy has three advanced Gotland-class diesel-electric submarines and a fourth older one due to be retired when it gets two new models expected starting in 2027.

Though they aren't nuclear-powered like US submarines, these submarines are quite capable. They have proven themselves against Western navies in exercises.

Professor Basil Germond, a maritime security expert at the UK's Lancaster University, told BI that in the case of war, with Sweden now a part of the alliance, "NATO will be in a much better position in the Baltic Sea than Russia because of the concentration of power around the sea and their ability to close the sea to Russian activities."

Powerful submarines

Sweden's submarines are small, silent, and can stay underwater for long stretches. The capabilities of the boats allowed one to "defeat" an American aircraft carrier, assets that are normally well-defended, in a military exercise.

Sweden's HSMS Gotland "sank" USS Ronald Reagan in a 2005 wargame that pitted a carrier task force against the Swedish boat in an anti-submarine warfare exercise.

Sweden operates conventional Gotland-class submarines, which Steven Horrell, a former US naval intelligence officer and now a naval warfare expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis, described to BI as "quieter than even a US nuclear class submarine."

Bryan Clark, a former submariner and naval operations expert at the Hudson Institute, described Sweden's submarines as "very quiet."

"That means they can operate undetected," he said. "They can patrol areas like the Baltic in particular, without the adversary forces knowing they're there."

Clark called the submarines a "big asset" for NATO.

Many NATO allies around the Baltic Sea have far less maritime capability. Sweden's Submarine Flotilla Commander Fredrik Linden told Reuters in 2023 that Sweden's navy has "regional expertise, which fills a critical gap, expertise that NATO doesn't have."

Jonson said Sweden has "unique capabilities to operate in the Baltic Sea under the surface, on the surface, and in the air." He added that the waterway is "a rather unique operational environment."

"The number of vessels at any time is about 4,500," the minister said of the strategic waters of the Baltic Sea. "That has increased significantly during the last decades and after the full-scale invasion broke out."

A strategic sea

Sweden knows the Baltic Sea well. Jonson said that operating there is "something we've been doing for hundreds of years, and we like to think that we know the Baltic Sea inside out."

Located in northern Europe, the waterway is surrounded by Russia and NATO allies Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland and is strategically important both to NATO and the Russians.

It is a key trade and telecommunications route. Jonson, Sweden's defense minister, described the sea as "an important lane of communication."

Russia's war, which Moscow purportedly started with the intention to limit NATO expansion, has seen the Baltic become what some alliance members have called a "NATO sea" with Finland and Sweden joining as allies.

In the Ukraine war, Russia has used its warships and subs to launch missiles at cities and critical infrastructure. Ukraine has, however, been able to damage many of Russia's vessels using its naval drones, driving away Russia's Black Sea Fleet from its headquarters in Crimea.

That has made St. Petersburg more important as one of only a few Russian ports that don't become inaccessible in the winter. If Russia wanted to threaten Europe, the Baltic Sea could become a strategically significant battleground.

For NATO, maintaining a greater maritime deterrence posture in the Baltic Sea is critical.

Made for this threat

The Gotland class submarines have been around for a while now, but they have been repeatedly updated to maintain their top-tier combat capabilities.

The Swedish boats feature a unique air-independent propulsion system powered by Stirling-cycle external-combustion engines, an X rudder for maneuverability, and four heavyweight torpedo tubes and two lightweight torpedo tubes. They're stealthy assets that can combat surface ships and subs, as well as lay mines.

Horrell called them perfect for a sea with "smaller inlets, small islands, small shallow waters."

"When you throw in there that it's home waters that someone has been operating in for years and years as an individual, individual officers, individual crews, crews as a team, you know, that makes a huge difference and brings a lot of capabilities," he added.

Clark said Sweden tends "to operate primarily in that Baltic Sea, North Sea region, which is a lot of relatively shallow water and a lot of coastline, a lot of little inlets and fjords."

He said Sweden typically focuses on "submarines and coastal warfare" while Finland focuses more on sea denial, with assets like mine layers. "Between the two of them," he said, "they could pin Russian forces inside of Russian waters pretty effectively."

Western officials have raised concerns about Baltic Sea security in response to severed undersea cables.

Sweden is stepping up its actions there, buying more surface vessels. Other allies are, too. Denmark is buying dozens more ships amid rising threats in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic.

Sweden and many of its neighbors warn Russia could attack elsewhere in Europe, beyond Ukraine.

It has increased its defense spending and wants allies to do the same. Jonson said "we doubled our own defense investment in five years, and we're now 2.4% of GDP and we have a trajectory going up to even further."

• The head of the US Space Force's Greenland base has been fired, Space Operations Command said Thursday.
• Colonel Susannah Meyers was removed from her position after a "loss of confidence," a statement said.
• It comes after Meyers reportedly distanced herself from Vice President JD Vance's criticism of Denmark.

The commander of a US Space Force base in Greenland has been fired following a recent visit by Vice President JD Vance.

In a statement Thursday, the military's Space Operations Command said Meyers had been removed from her position at the Danish territory's Pituffik Space Base due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead."

"Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties," it said, adding that Colonel Shawn Lee had now taken command.

In a post on X, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell shared an image of the SOC's statement along with a link to a Military.com article that reported Meyers had distanced herself from Vance's recent criticism of how Denmark manages the territory in an email to base personnel.

On March 31, days after Vance's trip to the island, Meyers is reported to have emailed staff saying, "I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base."

"Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense," Parnell wrote on X, appearing to confirm the reason for Meyers' dismissal.

Vance visited the Pituffik Space Base during a trip to Greenland in March, where he made a series of controversial comments accusing Denmark of underinvesting in Greenland's security and echoing President Donald Trump's suggestion that the territory would be better off under US control.

Trump told Congress last month that the US would acquire Greenland "one way or the other" and has not ruled out using military force, despite Denmark being a longtime ally and a member of NATO.

An opinion poll earlier this year found that the majority of Greenlanders oppose the idea of becoming part of the US.

Business Insider has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

• Ukrainian soldiers trick the Russians into attacking the wrong positions by building fake bunkers.
• They put effort into making it look real, even putting trash nearby, a drone operator told BI.
• Drone operators are targets for the Russians, so they operate underground on scarred battlefields.

Soldiers in Ukraine make fake bunkers with tree branches and more to trick Russian drone operators hunting for them. This is especially important for Ukraine's drone operators, which are often high-priority targets.

It has become standard operating procedure for soldiers to "make a few fake positions," Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone operator with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, told Business Insider.

He said that soldiers build the fake positions in the tree line, designing them so that it all "looks real."

"You would leave some marks of human life in there, some trash or anything," Zhluktenko explained, adding that it makes Russian reconnaissance drone ops more likely to focus on the fake position.

When the fake bunker draws enemy fire, it's a telling warning for the Ukrainian soldiers. That "would be a signal for you to get the hell out of there as soon as you can," Zhluktenko said.

Another Ukrainian drone operator, who spoke to BI on the condition of anonymity, said that the fake bunkers are something that Ukrainian operators will try to do when they have enough personnel to pull it off.

Hiding from the eyes of the enemy

Ukrainian drone operators are high-priority targets for Russia's military. For that reason, they regularly to try to stay concealed from Russia's attack drones and its reconnaissance drones that provide targeting data for its soldiers and other weaponry, but they can't shy away from the front lines. They have to be close enough to fight, especially with impediments like electronic warfare covering parts of the battlefield and complicating operations.

The drone operator who requested anonymity said that the distance that an operator can hang back from the fighting depends on the terrain, but operators typically have to get as close as 0.9 miles from the front line.

With largely static lines in many places and intense fighting, operators often hide underground. A US veteran who is now fighting for Ukraine told BI last year that when operating from a town, most, if not all, of the buildings there are destroyed.

"Our somewhat urban environment is all rubble," they said.

The front lines can be so unmoving that positions get "hit enough by artillery, drones, mortars, and other types of ordinance. It just falls apart little by little by little over time. And then eventually, it gets to a point where it's not a defendable position," the veteran said.

For the Ukrainians, many of their positions get "whittled down to next to nothing" and become "impossible to defend."

Zhluktenko, who has operated both strike and reconnaissance drones, said that operators like him often use underground dugouts covered with trees and branches. They put their computers and equipment that is needed to operate the drones in here.

They then try to find places where they can put the drone antenna and launching mechanism without being spotted, making them "look like a tree or something."

Throughout the war in Ukraine, both the Russian and Ukrainian armies have engaged in deception, using decoys and setting up traps to fool the enemy. These have included cardboard weapons, inflatable tanks, fake trench traps filled with bombs, and more. These tactics have played critical roles in protecting troops and military equipment.

The other Ukrainian drone operator said that operators try to operate "constantly inside a bunker," but they said that operators will sometimes have to risk going outside, including to put their drone on the ground so it can take off.

He said it can be highly dangerous because if an operator is spotted, they immediately see Russian drones flying toward them. When Russia spots Ukraine's drone operators or their drone stations, those become "target number one," he explained.

He said that when Russia attacks the positions, it does not hold anything back. "It does not sacrifice anything," he said, and its response can include Russia's devastating glide bombs.

Drones of all types are being used more in Russia's invasion of Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and the skies above the battlefield can be filled with drones to the point that soldiers have found themselves confused about which ones are theirs.

Both sides are racing to make more drones than the other and to out-develop each other's drones and counter-drone measures.