France 2025 #wine volume forecast to recover from last year's disaster (my wine-growing neighbors in Pouilly-sur-Loire AOC had no grapes at all, and they were not alone) though still not a large crop. Burgundy, Champagne, Loire look good for now, next update Sept. 9 www.decanter.com/wine-news/fr...

France confirms it proposed overhauling cooperation on FR-DE-ES Future Combat Air System based on `strengthening industrial leadership' - @dassaultaviation.bsky.social has been vocal about this / France asks FCAS partners to ‘rethink’ work share on fighter project www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Raytheon says rocket-motor squeeze still constrains missile output - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/06/24/raytheon-says-rocket-motor-squeeze-still-constrains-missile-output/

French Navy boss Vaujour spoke about how the @marinenationale.bsky.social applies drones, including an amphibious assault conducted with UAVs and USVs, and uses and limitations of underwater gliders. French Navy tests unmanned beach assault, expands drone tactics www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

#Burgundy #wine property prices in 2024 shrugged off the malaise that weighed on vineyard values elsewhere in France including #Bordeaux. Average Côte-d’Or prices rose for a 28th year to top €1 m/ha for the 1st time. Burgundy vineyard prices set new records in 2024 www.decanter.com/wine/burgund...

France moves Polaris naval exercise to the Atlantic. Scenario (?): hybrid attacks on Brest, Cherbourg ports → amphibious ops on English coast → naval battle → landing on French Atlantic coast France kicks of high-intensity naval exercise targeting Atlantic ports www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The Danish model for Ukraine still going strong in 2025, including spending a significant amount of windfall profits from frozen Russian assets. Denmark to spend €830 million on Ukrainian defense on behalf of EU www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Another year of lower #wine consumption in 2024 as inflation hits spending, but production drop creates a degree of market equilibrium: both the lowest since 1961. Price trends and trade value indicate there's no wine-sector crisis at the global level, OIV DG says www.decanter.com/wine-news/gl...

@dassaultaviation.bsky.social CEO was bleak on working w/ Airbus on FCAS. “I don’t want to sound arrogant at all, but whose capabilities do I need other than my own to make a combat aircraft?” Dassault CEO strikes dark tone on Europe’s sixth-gen fighter progress www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

If either Safran-MBDA or Thales-ArianeGroup manage to field a tactical rocket artillery capability by the middle of next year, that would offer a 100% EU-developed alternative to HIMARS/PULS/Chunmoo France plans to test homemade HIMARS alternative by mid-2026 www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

New Space really is a different animal. Kongsberg contract from SpinLaunch to build 280 micro sats for LEO for €122.5m, so €438k/sat. Once upon a time sat contracts would be hundreds of millions for a single orbiter (still the case for some GEO monsters of course) www.kongsberg.com/newsroom/new...

France at this week's Warsaw meeting will push for a successor to the ASAP plan that covers complex munitions (missiles) and is asking the Commission to throw money at IRIS² to speed things up France calls for new EU ammo plan, speeding up satellite constellation www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The U.K. speeds up the DragonFire laser weapon program, goal is to equip four Royal Navy destroyers starting in 2027. Defence procurement minister Eagle says schedule now 5 yrs ahead of previous plan UK rushes naval laser weapon, as major tank upgrade hits snag www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Wowza... five years of ineligibility for an elected position for Marine Le Pen, four years of prison of which two years non-suspended, though they can be fulfilled with an electronic bracelet, €100,000 fine. This can be appealed, but until then, the ineligibility stands, and applies immediately.

Very important reporting by the @kyivindependent.com that sheds more light on the systemic issues in Ukraine's military command, with feedback from nine commanders from company to brigade level on where things go wrong. The first step to fixing it.

Brekelmans asked his audience to imagine Russian troops on Baltic borders for a large exercise. Ukraine’s experience shows “we know only one week in advance” whether that would foretell an attack Russia seen ready for big troop move year after Ukraine truce: Dutch www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

“Attack plans are actually far more sensitive,” said a former U.S. defense official with experience planning such operations, who spoke anonymously to avoid the threat of retaliation. ‘Obviously classified’: Experts say Hegseth chat leaks invited danger www.militarytimes.com/news/pentago...

The composition of Germany's vineyards continues to change as winemakers adapt to a warmer #climate. More Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, and also newcomer Cabernet Blanc. Less Müller-Thurgau, Grüner Silvaner and Dornfelder. #wine www.decanter.com/wine-news/ge...

While the previous round fizzled out, this could potentially be a big deal for European artillery makers — though I guess that will partly depend on where transatlantic relations are headed.

Disengagement in Washington seems real. European defense officials "described having much more difficulty getting meetings with counterparts in the Defense Department, even with long-term contacts." For European envoys in DC, a new chill from Trump’s Pentagon www.defensenews.com/pentagon/202...

China demonstrated ‘satellite dogfighting,’ Space Force general says www.defensenews.com/space/2025/0...

Hitting Russian oil facilities is a cornerstone in Ukraine’s strategy for winning the war. It’s not surprising that Putin is in favor of a limited ceasefire on those types of objects.

Another massive year for MBDA, one of the companies key to a sovereign European defense. And picking up the pace in 2025. Last year's orders were €13.8b, +39% vs a yr earlier and +170% vs 2021. Europe’s top missile maker MBDA boosts output 33% amid record orders www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The RJ10 ramjet-powered cruise missile being developed by MBDA will cover the SEAD/DEAD mission for Europe, but may not be available before 2033 at the earliest.

We're hiring! Come join @jacopobarigazzi.bsky.social, @jancienski.bsky.social and me to cover defense policy in NATO and Berlin. jobs.mpleo.net/en/politico/... jobs.mpleo.net/en/politico/...

NATO plans to raise the capability targets by 30% this year, and with allies already 30% behind on delivering on the previous cycle, you could say there's work to be done... NATO to ask allies for 30% capability boost, top commander says www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The F-35 reporting is a tad overheated. Portugal didn't scrap their purchase, they never formally agreed to buy the F-35 even if that was the plan. The defense minister said they need to consider the best options, and touched on the potential unreliability of the US ally. As for other countries...

Can a Portuguese speaker help out? The headline reads very definitive, as in Melo rules out the #F-35, but the actual answer to the question in the text seems more nuanced, saying best option needs to be considered, reliability of ally taken into account. Which is it? www.publico.pt/2025/03/13/p...

Europe’s top defense ministers back Ukraine, won’t promise troops www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

F-35 partners fully committed to program, Dutch defense minister says - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/03/11/f-35-partners-fully-committed-to-program-dutch-defense-minister-says/

NEW: The actions of Trump and Vance in recent weeks highlight something under-appreciated. The American right is now ideologically closer to countries like Russia, Turkey and in some senses China, than to the rest of the west (even the conservative west). My column: www.ft.com/content/3046...

If the U.S. is asking companies, Maxar in this case, to stop sharing commercial satellite imagery with Ukraine, as reported by Militarnyi, that would appear to go beyond just halting aid to active sanctions. (as pointed out by others here) mil.in.ua/en/news/maxa...

EU pitches plan to free up €800 billion for defense spending www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

What we’re witnessing in America is what happens when disordered discourse captures a political party, then the state itself. The Republican Party was the first to fall - abandoning truth for conspiracy, ideology for grievance, and policy for performative outrage.

We asked #defense and security experts how much time Europe would need to stand on its own in nine defense enablers, including space-based ISR, command & control, aerial refueling and long-range strike. Mind the gaps: Europe’s to-do list for defense without the US www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Mind the gaps: Europe’s to-do list for defense without the US - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/02/25/mind-the-gaps-europes-to-do-list-for-defense-without-the-us/

Trump fires Joint Chiefs chairman, Navy head in DOD leadership purge. www.defensenews.com/pentagon/202...

Naval Group charges rival ThyssenKrupp with selling out submarine tech - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/02/20/naval-group-charges-rival-thyssenkrupp-with-selling-out-submarine-tech/

Bordeaux wines with novel grapes retain ‘classical’ taste – study www.decanter.com/wine-news/cl...

Experiments with novel grapes continue in #Bordeaux as the growing region looks for ways to climate proof the taste of typical Bordeaux wines. www.decanter.com/wine-news/cl...

The value of French wine exports fell for a second year even as shipped volumes crept up, with consumers favouring more affordable bottles. Champagne exports slumped, while demand for more modest sparkling wine jumped www.decanter.com/wine-news/fr...

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by Sven Biscop “Ukraine Now Needs a European Security Guarantee – Not a Peace Operation” #EU #Ukraine #Geopolitics 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 bit.ly/4gDKKDl

A difficult year for #France wine exports in 2024, with economic uncertainty + shift towards less expensive bottles hurting export values, even as the number of cases shipped rose slightly. #Champagne and #Bordeaux suffered, #Bourgogne and the Loire Valley did well www.decanter.com/wine-news/fr...

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced a major reshuffle of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency. GMF's Valeriia Ivanova and Josh Rudolph analyze the situation in Kyiv, in the 2nd of two articles on the reorganization. www.gmfus.org/news/ukraini...

NATO laggard Belgium vows defense boost with more F-35s, third frigate - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/02/10/nato-laggard-belgium-vows-defense-boost-with-more-f-35s-third-frigate/

Peter de Wit in Dutch newspaper ‘Volkskrant’.

Dutch military adds railway steel to rush troops to NATO’s east flank - https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/02/07/dutch-military-adds-railway-steel-to-rush-troops-to-natos-east-flank/

Being able to rush NATO troops across Europe by rail is back as a priority. I spoke with Col. Merlijn Heiligers at @minvandefensie.bsky.social on how the Dutch military transport org is adding to its rolling stock for freedom of action in a tight wagon market. www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The majority of critical undersea infrastructure is located in international waters, which means would-be saboteurs can take advantage of oversight gaps.

January 2025 was quite unexpectedly the warmest January on record at 1.75C above preindustrial, beating the prior record set in 2024. This is despite the presence of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific, with the El Niño event of 2023/2024 long faded. www.theclimatebrink....