Rudy Ruitenberg
Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.
All Stories By Rudy
Ukraine claims near-90% air-defense success in March as attacks increase
“The frequency of attacks is increasing but air defense performance is improving,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said.
Dutch armed forces to add drone operators to combat brigades
The Dutch military will expand that capability “significantly” by deploying 1,000 to 1,200 personnel specifically for drone and counter-drone operations.
French Navy dials up stress level in crew drills after Red Sea experience
The idea is to make people "feel like their final hour has come," said the officer in charge of training naval surface personnel.
Ukraine says more than 80% of enemy targets now destroyed by drones
One Ukrainian innovation has been a system to verify drone strikes that awards points to successful operators, with an online marketplace for bonus kit.
Defense tech startups had their best funding year ever in 2025
In 2026, defense-tech startups will have to prove to investors they can turn funding into actual production at scale, one analyst said.
US shipyard HII expands in UK to service growing Europe UUV business
The enlarged HII site in Portchester, England, will now be able to assemble the company’s Remus 620 medium-class modular unmanned underwater vehicles.
Babcock, Frankenburg plan launcher for ‘smallest’ anti-drone missile
Tallinn, Estonia-based Frankenburg says it aims to develop missile systems that are ten times cheaper and a hundred times faster to produce.
Kongsberg, Helsing team up for European satellite-intel constellation
The cooperation will include setting up local satellite production in Germany to create “a self-reliant European defense capability,” the companies said.
