Norway introduced New Guidelines for Procurement in the Defence Sector, officially known as Retningslinjer for anskaffelser i forsvarssektoren (RAF), on 1 January. The guidelines outline the country’s provisions on industrial cooperation in foreign defence procurements and bring its procurement framework in line with existing regulations and developments within public procurement.
India's Defence Procurement Board approved the acquisition of 114 Rafale F4 fighter jets from Dassault Aviation on 16 January. If finalised, India would procure up to 18 aircraft in fly-away condition, and the rest would be manufactured in India with up to 60 percent indigenous content, achieved in phases.
Sweden’s Saab has reportedly outlined an offer to Canada for its potential acquisition of up to 72 Gripen fighter aircraft and six GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Saab’s offer could involve a transfer of technology, local production, and the creation of up to 12,600 jobs in Canada. If finalised, Saab would manufacture the GlobalEye aircraft in collaboration with Canada’s Bombardier.
UAE-based defence conglomerate EDGE Group signed an agreement with Spain’s Indra Group on 13 January to set up a joint venture in León to produce loitering munitions. Once approved, the new venture would support the development, production, and lifecycle support of loitering munitions and smart weapons for Spanish and European defence programmes.
Qatar’s state-owned Barzan Holdings strengthened its defence industrial cooperation with several companies at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) 2026 held on 19–22 January. Among others, the Qatari military firm has inked agreements with Turkey’s Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM), and ASELSAN.
Turkey’s Desan Shipyard has signed an agreement to establish a new shipyard through a joint venture with the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (SM-WEZ) Corporation. Malaysia’s Henry The Black Shipyard Sdn Bhd will fulfil the role of project developer.