New opportunities for defence firms as EU steps up support for Ukraine
The European Commission is looking for startups and other innovators to address challenges across the land, air and sea domains.
Flybe has announced a new daily service between Edinburgh and Manston, Kent, in the southeast of England.
The airline notes that, apart from opening up the 'Garden of England', as Kent is known, to the Scottish market, the service also offers regional travellers the only scheduled flight to be currently operated out of Kent International Airport.
The route opens on 27 May with a flight time of 80 minutes operated by Flybe’s 78-seat Bombardier Q400s.
Mike Rutter, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, commented, “We’re delighted to be adding this new service to the southeast [of England] from Edinburgh and also to being the first carrier to offer Kent travellers a scheduled service out of Kent International. It also reflects our commitment to continued growth from our Edinburgh base and also to our development into new regions.”
Edinburgh Airport has welcomed the news. "The creation of this route underlines Edinburgh's attraction as a destination in the domestic UK market and we're excited that Flybe has picked up on the demand to create a link between Scotland's capital and the south of England,” remarked Gordon Dewar, the airport’s managing director.
Kent International Airport is located in east Kent, just a couple of miles from the popular seaside destinations of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate and within easy reach of Whitstable, Canterbury (with its world famous cathedral) and Dover’s iconic White Cliffs.
Matt Clarke, chief executive of Kent International Airport, noted, “I’m sure this route will be hugely popular with people in Kent. Flying to Kent International is a hassle free way to arrive in south east England. Our airport is easy to get to, easy to find your way around and allows passengers to enjoy flying the way it’s meant to be – boarding an aircraft merely metres from where you have parked your car.”
The European Commission is looking for startups and other innovators to address challenges across the land, air and sea domains.
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.