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Insights on European defence: funding and tenders, primes and supply chains, regulation, and what it takes to build in this market.

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Latest · Primes and Supply Chain

Bliksem EXO: What Europe's First Sovereign Interceptor Consortium Means for Defence Founders

Five European defence companies signed a Letter of Intent on 14 July 2026 to develop Bliksem EXO, a sovereign exo-atmospheric interceptor for ballistic missile defence. The LOI names a 2027 kill-vehicle test in space and designates four-year-old startup Destinus as prime integrator above Airbus, MBDA, Safran, and Thales. For founders, the binding Consortium Agreement window and August 2026 engineering start define the moment to enter the supply chain.

Julian Walder · 15 Jul 2026

3 Jun 2026

Primes and Supply Chain

The Royal Navy's Hybrid Fleet Is No Longer a Concept. It's a Procurement Pipeline.

Operation Firecrest and the UK Defence Investment Plan have converted the Royal Navy's hybrid navy vision into a live procurement programme worth at least £1.5 billion over four years. For European defence founders, the opportunity is specific: autonomous surface and underwater platforms, modular payload integration, and ASW sensor systems are all under active contract or imminent tender in 2026.