By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Trading information for KKR & Co is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., August 23, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -German military sensor maker Hensoldt said that its largest shareholder, buyout group KKR, is soliciting bids for a 25.1% stake among major European defence contractors.
KKR is in advanced discussions with companies, including France’s Thales and Italy’s Leonardo, Indra of Spain and Sweden’s Saab , Hensoldt said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hensoldt said it had “held discussions regarding their strategic intentions, among other things,” with the suitors.
(Adds comments by German defence minister)
PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - French and German defence ministers on Tuesday set a deadline of the end of April to broker a deal over the future of a next-generation combat jet, Europe’s largest defence project.
Earlier this month, the European companies involved in the project concluded talks with an agreement on how to share work on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), an array of manned and unmanned warplanes backed by France, Germany and Spain.
There are still differences over engine development and intellectual property rights.
“We both think the same thing: we need a deal by the end of April and I am confident we can get there together,” French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told a joint news conference after talks in Paris.
By Reuters Staff
3 Min Read
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan is seeking to acquire long-range, air-launched cruise missiles from the United States, a defence official said on Monday, as the Chinese-claimed island bolsters its forces in the face of increasing pressure from Beijing.
While Taiwan is developing its own long-range missiles, to give it an ability to strike back deep into China in the event of war, it has also looked to the United States to help provide it more advanced weaponry.
Asked in parliament which weapons systems Taiwan wants to buy but the United States has not yet said it can, Lee Shih-chiang, head of Taiwan’s defence ministry’s strategic planning department, named Lockheed Martin Corp’s AGM-158.
By Reuters Staff
1/ ECB DAY
FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters building is seen in Frankfurt, Germany, March 7, 2018. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File Photo
The European Central Bank meets on Thursday and will likely be pressed on signs of divisions over the future pace of bond purchases, which have been stepped up recently to prevent a rise in borrowing costs from derailing the recovery.
Dutch central bank head Klaas Knot believes the acceleration is temporary, while ECB chief Christine Lagarde says the economy is still standing on “crutches” and stimulus cannot be withdrawn.
The euro area is still grappling with lockdowns and a third wave of COVID-19 but business activity appears to be holding up. The April flash purchasing managers index on Friday should provide fresh clues on the outlook. Signs of a swift recovery could raise questions over when the ECB will slow its bond buying, putting recent bond market calm to the test.
4 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior Democratic senators will introduce legislation on Friday that would reassert Congress’ oversight of international weapons deals, after President Joe Biden’s administration decided to go ahead with a $23 billion sale to the United Arab Emirates that had worried lawmakers, congressional aides said.
FILE PHOTO: A formation of U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets perform aerial maneuvers during as part of a combat power exercise over Utah Test and Training Range, Utah, U.S. November 19, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/Handout via REUTERS.
The bill, seen by Reuters, will be introduced by Senators Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Dianne Feinstein, a senior member of the intelligence committee.