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News in brief: East Europe

The latest defence developments in East Europe, as featured in the Blueprint magazine's January 2026 edition

3 min read
Updated On: Jan 10 2026 | 6:21 AM IST
Jaisal Kaur
Romania signed a $724 million deal to buy 231 Mistral man-portable very short-range air defence systems and 934 Mistral missiles from France (Photo: Reuters)

Romania signed a $724 million deal to buy 231 Mistral man-portable very short-range air defence systems and 934 Mistral missiles from France (Photo: Reuters)

Romania to acquire French air defence systems 
To boost the strength of its land, air, naval, and special operations forces, Romania signed a $724 million deal to buy 231 Mistral man-portable very short-range air defence systems and 934 Mistral missiles from France in November 2025, the Romanian defence ministry said in a statement. The deal is a component of the Security Action for Europe programme, a European Union defence initiative.
Developed by the European defence firm MBDA, the missile is a multi-platform, fire-and-forget system specialised to guard soldiers, strategic targets, and military vessels from diverse threats. The new variant, the Mistral 3, provides an interception range of up to 8,000 metres (m) and can engage threats at altitudes of up to 6,000 m.
 
Poland’s first domestically built helicopter 

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Poland secured its maiden fully indigenous AW149 helicopter in November last year in a bid to modernise its helicopter fleet, according to the Polish Ministry of National Defence’s media statement. Under a 2022 agreement, 32 aircraft produced by the Italian company Leonardo were slated to be delivered, of which 10 were to be produced in Italy and the remaining 22 in Poland. The AW149 has a modular cabin and the ability to install systems for transport, medical evacuation, close support, and reconnaissance.
 
Lithuania’s $148 million buy 
Lithuania has placed a third order for the Swedish firm Saab’s Mobile Short Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) vehicle-mounted system. The deal, worth $148 million, was announced in December 2025, according to the company’s media statement. Slated for delivery between 2026 and 2030, the MSHORAD offers instant detection, mobility, protection, and flexibility for the air defence units.
 
C-390 jet for Hungary 
The Hungarian Air Force received the second C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft at its Kecskemét air base from the Brazilian firm Embraer in November 2025, the Hungarian government said in a statement. The aircraft offers advanced operational performance, higher flexibility, and lowered life-cycle costs.
The jets specialise  in diverse roles, including paratrooper missions, search and rescue, aerial refuelling, evacuation, and humanitarian operations.
 
World’s largest networked ground vehicles 
Ukraine placed an order with German firm ARX Robotics to deliver additional Gereon unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in November 2025, paving the way for the deployment of the world’s largest integrated network of military UGV robots, as per the firm’s media statement.
Already operational on Ukraine’s frontlines, the fleet is expected to increase to hundreds of systems integrated via ARX’s Mithra operating system, enabling coordinated large-scale missions. 
 
Jet-powered drones redefine the Russia-Ukraine war 
During the Russian strikes in late November last year, Ukraine deployed its interceptor drone, the Sting, to combat Russia’s new indigenous Geran-3 drones for the first time, the Business Insider reported. Modelled after the Iranian Shahed-238, the Geran-3 jet-powered attack drone boasts a small Tolou-10/13 turbofan engine and has a speed of 550-600 kilometres per hour.
 
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Written By :

Jaisal Kaur

Jaisal Kaur
First Published: Jan 10 2026 | 6:21 AM IST

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