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An F-16 fighter jet reportedly crashed at the U.S. Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany. Witnesses reported seeing a jet rapidly descend before a large column of black smoke appeared near the runway.

According to local reports, two aircraft had taken off and one crashed, and the pilot reportedly ejected safely.

Germany has begun compulsory military fitness examinations for 18-year-old men, including those who indicated no interest in serving. According to n-tv, nearly 1,000 individuals have been subject to mandatory summons since July ahead of a nationwide rollout planned for July 2027.

The United States’ decision to dramatically increase its long-range fire capabilities in Europe starting in 2026 appears set to trigger a response from Russia, as a new missile race gathers pace in Europe. Announced yesterday, the U.S. plan calls for “episodic deployments” followed by “longer-term stationing” of various types of long-range missiles suggesting that, eventually, at least some of these weapons will be permanently deployed in Germany, in a throwback to the Cold War era.

The United States will deploy to Germany a range of advanced ground-launched weapons, including the SM-6 multi-purpose missile and Tomahawk cruise missile as well as “developmental hypersonic weapons” — a reference to the yet-to-be-fielded Dark Eagle and potentially others, like the Operational Fires (OpFires) ground-launched hypersonic missile system and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missile, both of which are also now in development.

RTX's (RTX.N), opens new tab Raytheon Technologies said on Thursday that it has been awarded a $1.2 billion contract to supply Germany with additional Patriot air and missile defense systems.

The new order marks the second Patriot order for Germany this year.

US intelligence discovered earlier this year that the Russian government planned to assassinate the chief executive of a powerful German arms manufacturer that has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, according to five US and western officials familiar with the episode.

The plot was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defense industry executives across Europe who were supporting Ukraine’s war effort, these sources said. The plan to kill Armin Papperger, a white-haired goliath who has led the German manufacturing charge in support of Kyiv, was the most mature.