Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have pledged to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all. Is the Makkah Pact the foundation of a new NATO-style alliance—or an ambitious framework whose military credibility has yet to be built?

Romania’s planned acquisition of 12 Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters is more than a helicopter purchase. It is a first tranche in a wider Puma replacement effort, a test of EU SAFE-funded defence procurement, and a measure of whether Bucharest can convert urgent capability renewal into meaningful domestic industrial participation around Airbus, IAR Brașov and Romania’s aerospace base.