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
France’s Mediterranean armada signals clout as Middle East may rethink alliances
The massive deployment of warships comes as some Middle Eastern nations are expected to reevaluate their alliances in a post-Iran war world, analysts said.
European NATO nations reduce reliance on US arms imports: SIPRI data
European governments are spending more defense money in South Korea, France and Israel, according to a new analysis.
Patriot production delays prompt Switzerland to seek European air-defense fallback
The country will also buy fewer Lockheed Martin F-35 jets than initially planned after unit costs of the fighter increased.
French-German fighter program on life support as Dassault blames Airbus
“If Airbus maintains its position of not wanting to work with Dassault, the matter is dead,” said Dassault boss Eric Trappier.
France sends aircraft carrier to Mediterranean as Middle East flares up
France is also working on a coalition to pool assets, including military, that will allow shipping traffic to resume through key chokepoints in the region.
Macron opens door to deploying French nuclear forces to European allies
The plan is a “major evolution” of France’s deterrence posture, the president said in a long-awaited speech at the Île Longue naval base in Brittany.
The good, the bad and the ugly — Inside Europe’s race to supplant US defense enablers
Defending Europe against a Russian attack without U.S. help will stay tricky for the foreseeable future, as some areas are progressing faster than others.
Russia’s defense-spending surge tapers off in 2025, analysts find
Russian defense spending could potentially fall this year from “a very, very high point,” said Fenella McGerthy, an expert on defense economics at IISS.
