Europe’s defense industry is accelerating the development of a new long-range cruise missile capable of striking targets more than 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) away. At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, the joint venture Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems announced plans to fast-track the introduction of the Ruta Block 3 missile while beginning production of two shorter-range systems, Kryla and Ruta Block 2.

The companies say the Ruta Block 3 is designed for strategic deep-strike missions against high-value and hardened targets. The missile will carry a warhead of up to 250 kilograms (551 pounds) and be launched from standard shipping containers, allowing deployment from land vehicles and maritime platforms. According to the joint venture, the system can be made ready to fire in about two minutes.

The program is being developed with NATO qualification in mind, a step that would make the missile available to NATO and European Union member states. The announcement comes as European countries continue to expand domestic defense manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on non-European suppliers.

The missile family is being developed through a partnership that combines Destinus’ missile technologies with Rheinmetall’s manufacturing and defense production expertise. The companies have already signed a term sheet and say a final shareholders’ agreement is close to completion.

Container launch, rapid strike

Ruta Block 3 is the most advanced missile in the joint venture’s roadmap, but production will begin with two existing systems. The first is Kryla, a compact cruise missile carrying a 50-kilogram warhead designed for saturation attacks. The missile can be launched from containers, giving existing artillery units access to cruise missile capabilities.

The second system, Ruta Block 2, carries a 551-pound warhead and is intended for attacks on hardened and high-value targets. Like Ruta Block 3, it launches from standard containers rather than dedicated missile launchers.

“Together we are advancing NATO qualification on an accelerated path, embedded in existing programmes for European defense ministries. This allows us to rapidly provide European armed forces with a ready-to-deploy, certified and fully European effector,” says Roman Köhne, Head of Division Weapon and Ammunition, Rheinmetall.

European supply chain focus

The joint venture says all three missiles will be produced through a fully European supply chain. To support that goal, Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems plans to establish a facility in Germany for final assembly, integration, and testing. Initial delivery readiness is targeted for 2026.

The companies also emphasize the flexibility offered by containerized launch systems, which can be transported through existing logistics networks and deployed across a wide range of platforms.

“We are firmly committed to launch from standard sea containers. This gives our customers maximum flexibility: our systems can be deployed across virtually any land and sea platform and through existing logistics chains – concealed and brought to firing readiness in the shortest time,” says Mikhail Kokorich, Founder and CEO of Destinus.

Under the partnership, Destinus will provide the missiles’ core technology while Rheinmetall will supply warheads and booster rocket motors, creating what the companies describe as a fully European deep-strike missile portfolio.

Phoenix Semiconductor has won a Phase II SBIR contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency to develop drop-in replacements for obsolete microelectronic components used in defense systems.

Based in Austin, Texas, the company will design and validate four legacy chips facing supply shortages across military platforms. The program aims to maintain critical systems without requiring redesigns of existing hardware or software, addressing long-standing issues tied to discontinued semiconductors.

One of the key projects under the contract is the recreation of the Signetics 82S100 Bipolar Field-Programmable Logic Array, originally introduced in 1975 and discontinued in the late 1980s. The chip supports the Catapult Assisted Take-Off but Arrested Recovery system used to launch aircraft from Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

Phoenix is working with Naval Air Systems Command on the project. The goal is to deliver a form-fit-function replacement that avoids expensive system-level changes, which can require extensive certification and shipyard time across fleets.

Keeping legacy systems alive

Defense platforms often remain in service for decades, while semiconductor lifecycles last only a fraction of that time. This mismatch has created a persistent obsolescence problem across the defense supply chain. The Department of Defense estimates redesign and replacement efforts can cost around $5 million over five years per instance, while broader diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages mitigation costs exceed $2.4 billion annually.

Phoenix says its Phase I program demonstrated cycle-accurate replacement chips that were successfully tested in a live commercial system without requiring hardware or software changes. The company’s method focuses on producing form, fit, and function compatible components that can be directly inserted into existing systems, reducing downtime and eliminating the need for full requalification in critical defense applications.

Reviving retired defense chips

Ryan Hatcher, CEO and founder of Phoenix Semiconductor, said the award validates its approach. “This DLA SBIR Phase II award and our work with NAVAIR is a direct validation of what Phoenix has built — a faster, more cost-effective path to restoring access to mission-critical microelectronics that power the platforms our warfighters depend on. Working alongside our partners, we are proving that American ingenuity can solve one of the most pressing vulnerabilities in our defense industrial base — without multi-million-dollar redesigns and years of delay.”

Tackling defense obsolescence crisis

The program also aligns with the Defense Logistics Agency’s modernization and supply chain strategy and provisions in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act covering microelectronics obsolescence mitigation, supply chain risk management, and domestic manufacturing expansion.

Phoenix’s patent-pending approach does not require new silicon fabrication or original wafers. The company says its drop-in components are designed to match original form, fit, and function, allowing military systems to continue operating without redesigns while reducing cost and lead times for legacy part replacement.

By focusing on legacy component replication, the company aims to reduce dependency on fragile global supply chains and shorten repair timelines for aging defense systems. The approach could also support other industries that rely on long-life industrial hardware systems worldwide.

Researchers in Austria have developed a new battery management system (BMS) that can detect hidden damage and track aging inside electric vehicle batteries, potentially improving safety, performance, and lifespan.

The technology was developed through the EU-funded Nemo project by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and several industry partners. Unlike conventional battery management systems that mainly monitor voltage, current, and temperature, the new approach provides direct insight into conditions inside battery cells.

Current battery systems often rely on external calculations to estimate battery health. As a result, damage or aging inside individual cells can be difficult to identify until performance begins to decline.

The researchers say the new models and algorithms allow the battery management system to independently identify faults, monitor cell degradation, and determine when maintenance may be needed.

Looking inside batteries

A key part of the project involved improving the system’s ability to detect safety risks before they become serious problems.

“The battery management system is an important tool for operating electric vehicles more safely and sustainably,” said Christoph Drießen from the Vehicle Safety Institute at TU Graz.

To train the system, researchers deliberately damaged battery cells in laboratory tests. Some cells were mechanically deformed to simulate incidents such as minor parking impacts. The resulting data was then used to develop algorithms capable of recognizing similar signs of damage in real-world batteries.

The system relies on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), a sensor-based technique that measures electrical resistance inside battery cells. This allows engineers to collect information directly from within the battery rather than inferring its condition through external measurements alone.

Researchers say this additional layer of monitoring could help identify damaged cells at an earlier stage, reducing safety risks and allowing maintenance before larger problems develop.

“If we recognise faults and damage to individual battery cells at an early stage via the BMS, many dangers can be avoided,” Drießen said.

Smarter aging detection

Beyond safety, the researchers also focused on understanding how batteries age over time.

The TU Graz team developed a model that predicts changes in battery cell volume during charging and discharging cycles. Excessive expansion can increase mechanical pressure inside a battery pack, raising the risk of cracks, deformation, internal short circuits, and temperature spikes.

Meanwhile, researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel developed models that track aging and service-life changes within individual cells.

According to the team, existing battery checks mainly reveal how much overall capacity has been lost compared to a battery’s original condition. The new approach aims to provide a more detailed picture of what is happening inside the cells as they age.

“Up to now, a test only showed how much the capacity has decreased compared to the original battery condition,” said Drießen.

“But the new models also give us an insight into the changes within the cells as they age. This enables adjustments that are beneficial for performance, service life and safety.”

Despite the added functionality, researchers say the enhanced battery management system would not significantly increase the size or weight of existing systems. A demonstrator has already been built at the battery module level, while a follow-up project will focus on advancing the technology toward industrial deployment.

The study appears in Journal of Power Source.

Scientists have discovered that seismic waves from Japan’s devastating 2011 earthquake traveled to Earth’s core and back, triggering a second tectonic slip event that shifted the country eastward by up to 6 millimeters.

The newly identified event occurred about 16 minutes after the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast. Researchers say the waves traveled roughly 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) through the planet, reflected off Earth’s liquid outer core, and returned to the surface.

The returning waves appear to have triggered movement along major tectonic plate boundaries around Japan, creating a broad seismic event that had gone unnoticed for years.

The findings help explain a mysterious signal recorded by Japan’s extensive GPS network shortly after the earthquake. Stations across the country registered a sudden eastward shift at nearly the same time, even though no known aftershock had occurred.

Mystery signal explained

The 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake ranks among the most powerful ever recorded. Along with the tsunami it generated, the disaster claimed about 20,000 lives and produced one of the most comprehensive sets of earthquake measurements ever collected.

Years later, however, one piece of data continued to puzzle scientists. GPS stations detected a synchronized eastward movement across Japan that did not match any known aftershock activity.

“Most of the time, we would see an offset like this when there’s actual earthquake happening. But here there was no known aftershock at this time, so we were quite curious,” said Sunyoung Park, a geophysicist at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study.

Park and her colleagues ruled out several possible explanations, including an undersea landslide and slow fault movement. Instead, they concluded that seismic energy from the original quake had traveled deep into Earth, struck the outer core, and rebounded back toward the crust.

When the waves returned, they triggered additional slip along plate boundaries surrounding Japan. Researchers believe the intense shaking from the main earthquake may have weakened these faults, making them more susceptible to later movement.

Core bounce effects

The newly recognized event stretched across roughly 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers), making it the broadest seismic event ever recorded, according to the researchers.

The team estimates it released energy comparable to a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. It also involved multiple major plate boundaries, including the Pacific-Okhotsk boundary and the Philippine Sea-Eurasian boundary.

Scientists have long known that seismic waves can travel through Earth and reflect off deep internal structures. However, this is the first documented case in which those reflected waves appear to have triggered tectonic slip near the surface.

“It’s striking because this is both an unprecedented length and area for a seismic event, and it is a previously unrecognized source of seismic hazard,” said Park.

The discovery could influence how researchers think about large earthquakes and their lingering effects.

“This indicates that large earthquakes can influence the fault even after the main shaking is over,” Park said.

The researchers say the finding highlights how much remains unknown about the behavior of large earthquakes and the complex interactions between seismic waves and tectonic plates.

The study was published in the journal Science.

Mach Industries has won a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to develop a long-range unmanned aircraft designed to launch from austere locations and ships without large flight decks.

The aircraft, called Atlas, is being developed for the DIU’s Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike (RIMES) program. Mach Industries will serve as the aircraft integrator, working with propulsion company Whisper Aero.

According to the solicitation, the Department of the Navy is seeking an unmanned aerial system capable of conducting long-range strikes while operating from expeditionary sites with minimal infrastructure or from ships that lack conventional runways.

Mach said Atlas is designed to meet those requirements with a hybrid-electric propulsion system, runway-independent operations, a 1,000-pound payload capacity, and a range of 1,400 nautical miles.

Built for austere operations

The aircraft combines Mach Industries’ platform development capabilities with Whisper Aero’s JetFoil propulsion technology.

Unlike conventional fixed-wing aircraft that require runways, Atlas is being designed to operate from unimproved landing zones while retaining the control characteristics of a fixed-wing platform. The companies say the approach could give military units greater flexibility in contested environments where traditional airfields may be unavailable or vulnerable.

Excited to announce Atlas, our VTOL strike and logistics aircraft for the Navy. pic.twitter.com/fvbLWujnVN

— Mach Industries (@Mach_Industries) June 16, 2026

The aircraft is also intended to support distributed operations, a growing focus for the U.S. military as it prepares for conflicts in which logistics networks could come under attack.

In recent testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael identified contested logistics as one of the Pentagon’s critical technology priorities. The challenge centers on sustaining military operations when transportation routes, supply chains, and support infrastructure are disrupted.

Mach says Atlas addresses that challenge by reducing infrastructure requirements for launch and recovery while simplifying maintenance through a highly redundant propulsion architecture and a lower part count.

“Mach’s speed to prototype and production, coupled with Whisper Aero’s novel aerodynamics and propulsion makes Atlas a revolutionary air mobility platform,” said Nathan Diller, President and Chief Strategy Officer at Mach Industries.

Quiet propulsion advantage

A key feature of the aircraft is Whisper Aero’s JetFoil technology, which the company says improves efficiency while reducing acoustic signatures.

The system is designed to generate lift and thrust more efficiently than traditional approaches, helping extend range while allowing operations from confined locations. Lower noise levels could also make the aircraft more difficult to detect during missions.

“We developed JetFoil to propel the next generation of conventional, short, and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft silently and efficiently,” said Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero.

According to Moore, the technology allows Atlas to meet RIMES requirements while operating from smaller naval vessels. “With JetFoil, Atlas can effectively meet the needs of the RIMES mission to operate even from destroyer class vessels.”

The award adds to Mach Industries’ expanding defense portfolio. Founded in 2023, the company says it is currently flying five different platforms and has manufactured more than 250 aircraft. Over the past two months, it has also conducted flight operations in four countries under complex electromagnetic conditions.

If successful, Atlas could provide the Navy and joint force with a long-range strike platform capable of operating from locations where traditional aircraft cannot, while reducing dependence on large runways and established air bases.