Germany-US Defense Talks: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will meet US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington after an earlier snub, with discussions expected to cover Germany’s F-35 rollout, Russia-linked hybrid threats, and the latest drone attack concerns. Hybrid Sabotage in Europe: Germany is investigating a suspected arson attack near defence firm Rohde & Schwarz in Munich, days after power-grid sabotage attempts and amid heightened fears of foreign interference. Directed-Energy Leap for the US Army: The US Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8M production contract for the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) under LOCUST X3, marking the first US production contract for a directed-energy system. India-Belgium Defence Industrial Push: India and Belgium agreed to deepen defence and intelligence cooperation, including expanded military exchanges and training, plus co-development and co-production deals spanning rockets, mine countermeasures, drones, sensors, and munitions. Estonia Procurement Fallout: Estonia’s defence minister resigned over a €70M Ukraine ammunition procurement scandal involving an Italian shell company tied to Indian-linked entrepreneurs. US-Iran Pressure and Air Defence Strain: Iran says it is still circumventing the US blockade as missile exchanges continue; analysts warn Patriot interceptor stocks are being depleted faster than production can replace them. Cyber Defence and Identity Security: CISA and partners issued crisis communications guidance for service providers, while a major dark-web leak reportedly put 150M+ driver’s licenses and other IDs up for sale, including scans tied to US defence leadership.