defense

Two Spanish space giants have joined forces to take 5G defense satellites into space: PLD Space and Sateliot

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Two Spanish companies they have sealed an agreement to launch new generation satellites without depending on any other foreign company. In Europe we have been with the run run of technological sovereignty. This agreement is a perfect example of this, and also a milestone for Spain if the project ends up materializing. The agreement. PLD Space, manufacturer of the Miura 5 rocket based in Elche, and Sateliot, a telecommunications satellite operator based in Barcelona, ​​have signed a contract to launch two satellites from Sateliot’s Tritó constellation aboard the Miura 5. The launch is scheduled for the last quarter of 2027, expectedly on the fourth commercial flight of the Elche rocket, and will do so from the Kourou Space Port, in French Guiana. Each satellite weighs about 160 kilos and will be launched on a dedicated mission, without sharing space with other operators. Why is it important? This agreement is presented as the first entirely Spanish private space mission, with satellites designed, manufactured and operated in the country, launched using a rocket also of Spanish origin. And the interesting thing about the project is that it would cover the entire value chain of the sector (manufacturing, launch, operations and commercial exploitation) without foreign intermediaries. Although the European Union has been trying for years reduce your dependence on operators like SpaceXthis alliance fits directly into this context. What are Tritó satellites? The Tritó constellation is a significant evolution of the current satellites that Sateliot has, weighing 15 kg and dedicated exclusively to the Internet of Things (IoT). In this case, the new Tritó have greater capacity and will combine IoT connectivity with direct device-satellite communication (D2D), including data, voice and video through 5G. Marco Guadalupi, CTO of Sateliot, counted to El Español that one of its key points is that they will be able to “establish the connection when the device is in the pocket”, being key for emergencies, natural disasters and defense applications. The risk they assume. Guadalupi does not hide that it is “a risky mission.” The Miura 5 is a new rocket, whose first launch test is scheduled for the end of this year, and its reliability has yet to be demonstrated in real flight. “We are crazy and we know what we want,” I was joking Guadalupi himself in the interview with the media. The Sateliot team claims to have visited the PLD Space integration and testing facilities on three occasions before signing. In exchange for the risk, they get something that few options on the market offer: a dedicated mission, without competing for space, and the flexibility to adapt flight conditions to their specific needs. Review. Last November, PLD Space closed financing of 169 million euros through ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, backed almost entirely by Spain, for launch contracts and improvements to the Miura 5. Sateliot, for its part, has plans to deploy up to 100 satellites in 2028 and aims to reach revenues of 1 billion euros in 2030, according to they count from Reuters. Among its shareholders is Indra, with 4% of the capital. The agreement with PLD Space also occurs while Sateliot is opening market in India. Jaume Sanpera, CEO of the company, traveled to the Asian country coinciding with the announcement, where the company already has headquarters and sees potential for a future business in which they offer connectivity in remote areas. What’s coming Before the satellites board the Miura 5, Sateliot plans to launch a prototype of the Tritó platform in mid-2027 to validate the payload. The more capable commercial satellites would be integrated into the rocket in the final stretch of that same year. Regarding the total number of satellites they hope to put into orbit, Guadalupi counted that “there will be hundreds.” Sateliot’s intention is to centralize launches to simplify logistics, and although they do not rule out other suppliers, they aim to continue working with PLD Space. Cover image | Satellite In Xataka | A new “solar system” has just been discovered. There’s just one problem: it shouldn’t exist.

Spain has started its most ambitious defense program. It is not a tank or a drone, it is the brain to control Europe’s troops

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Spain built its land defense looking outward, integrating into foreign programs and adapting doctrines from when the tank symbolized power, deterrence and industrial sovereignty. From joining NATO in 1982 to the missions in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army was accumulating operational experience, but always with one constant: the key technology came from outside. Today, the debate no longer revolves around how many vehicles you have, but rather What role do you want to play? now that the war changes again. From cannon to code. The Ukrainian experience has finished burying the idea of ​​the battle tank as an isolated and self-sufficient platform, pushing Spain to rethink its land doctrine from the roots. Instead of investing in more armor and weight, the Ministry of Defense has opted for a conceptual leap: prioritizing information, connectivity and speed of decision as key factors of survival in a “transparent” battlefield, saturated with sensors, drones and smart munitions. In that context PAMOV is bornnot as a new tank or a combat drone, but as the nervous system that must govern all those that come after. PAMOV, the brain. The Superior Ground Combat System program, awarded to Indraseeks to define the digital architecture of the future Spanish armored combat beyond 2040. We are talking about an initial investment around the 45 million euros and a strong R&D component, one whose objective is not yet to manufacture platforms, but design and mature subsystems that will allow the integration of manned and unmanned vehicles, sensors, weapons and command and control into a single cooperative tactical network. The tank, therefore, stops being the physical center of combat and becomes just another node within a distributed “system of systems.” INDRA The tactical cloud. One of the pillars of PAMOV is the creation of a combat tactical cloud capable of fusing in real time information from on-board sensors, aerial and ground drones and external sources. As? Through artificial intelligencethe system detects, classifies and prioritizes threats, reducing crew cognitive overload and accelerating decision-making in high-pressure environments. The 360 degree visionsupported by AI and augmented reality, allows you to “see through” the armor and regain freedom of maneuver against the proliferation of drones and loitering munitions. Less tons, more platforms. Plus: the lessons of Ukraine have highlighted the limits of the continued growth in weight of battle tanks, some already close to 80 tons, with enormous logistics costs and restrictions of mobility. In this sense, Indra’s approach is committed to distribute capabilities between multiple lighter platforms, many of them unmanned, that operate in tandem with the main tank. Here are names that are common today in the Ukrainian war, such as UGVs and UASwho would advance ahead “taking on the most exposed missions and acting as extenders of ISTAR capability“, in addition to (obviously) reducing human risks. Modularity and weapons of tomorrow. The PAMOV is conceived as an open architecturemodular and scalable, one capable of being integrated into different present and future vehicles. This allows on paper to progressively incorporate new technologies, from advanced active protection systems to directed energy weapons and, in more distant phases, even future hypersonic systems without having to redesign the entire platform. Hence, it is emphasized that the key is not in the specific weapon, but in the system being able to govern, coordinate and exploit it within the tactical network at the right time. Technological sovereignty. The concept is going to be repeated more and more in the old continent. In the case of Spain, with a 95% of national developments and the participation of SMEs, startups, universities and technology centers spread across several autonomous communities, PAMOV is presented as a strategic commitment for the country. As we remembered yesterday, the nation seeks to stop being just a simple buyer or late integrator to become technology provider criticism in European programs like MARS and, in the long term, the MGCSseeking to be on par with France and Germany. The final objective is that the Spanish contribution to the European car of the future is not only steel, but intelligence that governs it. Another way to fight. Finally, and if you will, beyond technology, the impact of PAMOV points above all to doctrinal. For the Army it means moving from individual platforms to cooperative networkschange the way we command, train and operate, and prepare for high-intensity scenarios with fewer personnel and greater dependence on software. From that perspective, the future Spanish battle tank will not be defined by its caliber or its weight, but by its capacity. to connect systemsdominate the information and decide faster than the opponent. Image | Rheinmetall Defense, Oscar in the middleIndra In Xataka | Spain has been a weapons exporting power for decades. Now he has made a decision: keep them In Xataka | Ukraine has found what it needed in an unexpected ally. Spain had the missing piece against the shahed drones

Who is Oesía, the Spanish technology company that has become the new major defense contractor

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Unless you closely follow the defense sector in Spain, surely the name Oesía will not sound too familiar to you. A few days ago, the company it was news because it will be in charge of providing “eyes” to the Pizarro infantry combat vehicles, and it is not the only defense contract it has recently won. What is Oesia?. It is a business group financed 100% with Spanish private capital, chaired by the Catalan businessman Luis Furnells, who in turn is the main shareholder. The company has taken an important turn in the last decade and has gone from offering consulting and digital transformation services to focusing on solutions and services for the defense sector through its different brands: Oesia Networks: is the original arm of the company dedicated to digital consulting and hyperautomation processes. Tecnobit: the jewel in the crown. It is the reference brand in optronics (infrared and night vision), tactical communications and simulation. Cipherbit: Oesía boasts that it is the first cybersecurity and secure communications brand certified by NATO. UAV Navigation: specialized in guidance, navigation and control systems for unmanned vehicles. Inster: focused on satellite communications on the move (SOTM) in land, naval and air environments. Who is Luis Furnells. He is a Catalan businessman and manager who has dedicated himself mainly to the technology sector. He has been in charge of the Oesía Group since 2012 and, since 2014, also of its subsidiary Tecnobit. On your resume We find companies such as BBVA, La Caixa and Telefónica, in which he served as Chief Information Officer. He also founded the consulting firm LUCARit, which was later integrated into Oesía. One of his recent objectives at the head of the group, embodied in the 2023-2025 strategic planwas precisely to consolidate its position as a reference company in the field of defense. And he is achieving it. Why it is important. Oesía, specifically its subsidiary Tecnobit, has been chosen by Santa Bárbara Sistemas to modernize the fleet of Pizarro combat vehicles. Tecnobit has also been selected for produce key components for the PAC 3 missileof Lockheed Martinone of the more advanced missile defense systems. Oesía will manufacture specialized wiring and harnesses, positioning itself as an important player not only in national territory, but in international defense programs. Oesía is not alone. The company is not alone in its entry into the defense sector. As they point out in Digital Economyone of the most important contracts they have signed with their subsidiary Cipherbit, was achieved through an alliance with Epicom, a company dedicated to the design of cryptographic and key solutions in National Security. Oesía owns 30% of Epicomanother 30% Indra and the remaining 40% belongs to the State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI). cifras. He Rearmament report from the National Security Observatory includes the contract won as a result of the alliance between Cipherbit and Epicom, which is placed in 11th position with an amount of 167 million euros. Another Oesía contract of more than 25 million euros also appears in the same report. In the case of the contract with Santa Bárbara Sistemas to modernize the Pizarro tanks, we are talking about 264 million euros. According to Economía Digital, the awards to Oesía are of at least 192 million euros, almost what the company invoiced in 2024. Image | Army, Oesía In Xataka | A space war looms over our heads and Europe is the power that invests the least in defense technology

Russia has found an old ally from other wars to bring down Ukraine’s most impenetrable defense: snowfall

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Winter has once again established itself as a decisive actor in the Ukrainian war. To the mud and fog A new enemy has been added to the Ukrainian defenses. Heavy snowfall and freezing rain are degrading the tool that has allowed kyiv to make up for its numerical inferiority for two years: the swarms of light, agile and deadly FPV drones that form the backbone of their “death zones” defensive. Winter as a weapon. The meteorology, which in other winters had shaped the strategy, this year is dismantling a defensive system which Ukraine had perfected into a nearly impenetrable barrier. Russia understood this before anyone else and launched large scale assaults taking advantage of the climate vulnerability of drones, opening gaps around Kharkiv, Huliaipole and especially Pokrovsk. For the first time in months, Moscow is advancing not because it has decisively improved its military, but because nature has given it a window that it is exploiting. with brutal determination. The unexpected weakness. It turns out that FPV drones, so effective in summer, are extremely fragile in winter. Their lack of inertia makes them victims of the wind, which pushes them and makes their trajectory falter with each gust, humidity and ice fog the cameras, snow reduces contrasts, fog blurs the depth of the visual field and the lenses become covered with drops that distort the image at the most critical moment. The pilot, who needs perfect vision to hit with surgical precision, encounters a blurry screenwithout references, unable to distinguish trenches, obstacles or even the final objective. The slightest loss of clarity turns an attack in a crash against the terrain or in an erratic missile. The result is devastating for the Ukrainian defensive strategy: when the drones do not fly, the death zones they cease to existRussian columns can advance under dark clouds and motorcycles and pickup trucks carrying troops take advantage of the fog to infiltrate towns like Pokrovsk, where urban fighting is already fierce. A dangerous opportunity. The adverse weather has created for Russia an opportunity that it has not enjoyed since the beginning of the war. With Ukrainian drones forced to remain on the ground, Russian forces have managed to maneuver with greater freedom of movement, something that drone warfare had made nearly impossible for months. They have crossed rivers in fog, entered towns with light vehicles without being detected and pushed through Ukrainian lines while the defense was reorganized while waiting for the weather to improve. Moscow’s advance, although limited in territorial terms, is having an impact psychological and tactical significant: it exposes the fragility of the Ukrainian defensive model when it is left without its star tool and shows that Moscow has learned to detect weather patterns to time attacks precisely. The November Fog already allowed its troops to deepen positions in Pokrovsk, a critical point whose control has become a symbol both for the Kremlin (which seeks to show progress to Washington) and for Kyiv, which is struggling to resist on a front where pressure is constant. Innovation against the clock. But the climate does not act in a unidirectional way. Just as quickly as drones became inoperable, atmospheric improvements allowed Ukraine to recover part of their kill zones and launch counterattacks with your FPV. The brigades, such as the 28th Mechanized, have taken advantage of the clear weather to hit Russian units newly deployed in Kostiantynivka, trapping them in exposed positions. This dynamic confirms that Ukraine is not defeated: is forced to adapt faster. Its industry, extremely flexible since 2022, is already developing a new generation of drones with more wind-resistant fuselages, low-light cameras, simplified thermal systems and control algorithms capable of stabilizing flight in adverse conditions. The arrival of these drones, scheduled for the coming months, will be key to reverse the advantage temporary that Russia has obtained. If Ukraine manages to deploy a winter-hardy FPV force, the balance on the front could tip again. The other winter war. While the drones fight in the white sky ahead, winter hits the cities otherwise: with blackouts of up to 16 hours, failed heating, stopped elevators and parents who go to the shelter with their children in their arms between explosions. The BBC told cases like that of Oksana, in her apartment in kyiv, who lives with a 2,000 euro battery that only extends normality by a few hours. Her daughter plays by candlelight and her husband works in the dark when bombing cuts off supplies. Millions of Ukrainians are preparing for what the authorities describe how “the worst winter in our history.” Moscow has intensified its attacks against transmission networks, not only to leave the population without electricity and heat, but to close bakeries, paralyze factories, stop transportation and suffocate the economy until causing social discouragement. According to the Ukrainian government itself, the Russian objective is not only to defeat the country militarily, but to destroy its internal cohesion. human wear and tear. After almost four years of war, fatigue has become widespread. He insomnia affects three times as many Ukrainians as people in countries at peace, and the nights are marked by sirens, Shahed drones and waves of missiles that have reached record numbers. Moral fatigue is mixed with the physical: the front is far away, but the war is in every hallway, in every staircase, in every unlit light bulb. And yet, surprisingly, the surveys show a rebound in optimism: more than half of Ukrainians believe in a better future, even if it is a fragile, oscillating one that depends on the evolution of blocked negotiations, the arrival of foreign aid or the result of a Russian offensive that is still far from a decisive victory. Frozen diplomacy. Plus: international negotiations are going through their most uncertain moment. A possible Trump-Putin summit is on pause. The EU is still discussing how to use 180,000 million on frozen Russian assets, and kyiv sees with concern how Washington sends mixed signals and how some European governments could change with elections less … Read more

It is the spatial power that less invests in defense

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Every time we look at the GPS of the car, we consult the time or pay by card, the navigation, observation or time synchronization satellites make it Everything works without us noticing. But hundreds of kilometers on our heads, a silent war makes its way. One that, to end up exploding, could erase what we take for granted. The Ukraine War changed everything. He demonstrated, without a doubt, that satellites are not only scientific or commercial tools, but first -order military assets. From the tracking of the troops to the safe and resilient communicationsthe conflict “consecrated space as an operational domain of full right”, In the words of Vincent ChusseauHead of the French Space Command. At the same time, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine put on the table the advances in countermeasures to neutralize or interfere with enemy satellite signalsas well as the Fragility of a nation that does not have sovereign access to space. The space has been militarized. It is a documented reality. Reports like him Space Threat Assessment 2025 of the CSIS or the GLOBAL COUNTSPACE CAPABILITIES From the Secure World Foundation they draw a disturbing panorama: United States, China, Russia, Iran, Israel and other powers They have actively developed an entire anti-satellite capabilities. These technologies range from missiles launched from land to satellites capable of attacking others, going through high -power lasers to fry the electronic components in orbit. Advances are added to electronic warfare that we have also seen in Ukraine in the form of usual cyber attacks or interferences. Europe is staying behind. There are more than 200 anti-satellite weapons in space. For Europe it is a problem. While the United States and China treat space as a pillar of your national securityallocating 50% of public spending on defense space, Europe barely allocates 15%, Josef Aschbacher warnsdirector of the European Space Agency. The remaining 85% is dedicated to civil purposes, which raises a review of strategic priorities. While one of Aschbacher’s papers is to get more financing from the Member States, divergence attracts attention to the times. The European quota in global spatial financing is increasingly lower: only 10% in 2024, compared to 60% of the United States. Not only because other powers have joined the game, such as China and India, but because the EU invests only 0.07% of its GDP in space activities. The participation of Europe is less and less in a sector that expects to triple its value from here to 2035. At risk of losing autonomy. Europe has been moving chips so as not to depend on foreign powers for its own safety and the operation of essential services that depend on space, such as investment in the incipient sector of European microlanzores or the creation of Iris2 as a sovereign alternative to Starlink. But geopolitical instability and growing threats could force it to make more forceful decisions. European defense companies that are already expanding to the space sector do so without a common vision. The solution proposed by Aschbacher is a significant increase in the ESA budget, that could leave the European Rearme Plan. And another more pragmatic route: bet on dual -use space systems: Develop technologies and satellites that can meet both civil needs (science, observation of the earth, the Internet …) and defense (surveillance, safe communications …). Convert the need into opportunity. Image | That, Freepik In Xataka | The US has no doubt: Russia is building a nuclear weapon capable of destroying all satellites in orbit

The 96,000 positions that 2% of GDP in defense aspire to create

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A few months ago, Spain He promised to increase your investment in defense to 2% of GDP. According to data of the Industrial and Technological Plan for the Security and Defense presented by the Government, that effort implies mobilizing 10,471 million euros in 2025 and take a big step and place at the level of commitments assumed with NATO, but without touching social spending or increasing taxes. These investments in the defense industry, beyond moral or political debates, can be an opportunity to An impulse to industry national, directly affecting the reactivation of factories and companies that for years have been references in technology and production. More qualified employment. The estimates, both of the Government and the different sectoral employers, indicate that, between direct and indirect jobs, 96,000 new jobs such as sectors such as aeronautics, robotics, programming and manufacturing will be created. This change not only It implies more workbut also an investment in continuous training and new opportunities for young people seeking to join the labor market. Specialties such as telecommunications engineering, aeronautics, electronics or cybersecurity experts are between The most wanted profiles In this sector, but also specialized profiles in the manufacture of weapons such as welding, assembly specialists or sheet experts who leave the different degrees of FP. Chords to the qualification. This requirement of highly qualified personnel is also collected in the wages that this sector offers. According to KPMG data published by Fifodiesthe average salary of the employees of the defense sector are 85% higher than the Spanish average, which stood at 25,896 euros per year. This implies that, on average, the qualified employees of this sector would be charging salaries of 47,907 euros per year. Most of these well -paid jobs have occurred in the aeronautical subsector, followed by the Naval, which are the ones that have grown the most In recent years and lead sales figures by monopolizing 74.5% of the total sector billing. A booming sector. The defense industry, together with aeronautics and security, is living a moment of great impulse in which, given The technological pressure that we are seeing in conflicts Like Ukrainean important effort is being made in R&D. That implies more research and Capture employees with high qualification. According to data of Aesmide (Association of Contractor Companies with Public Administrations), in 2023, the defense -related sectors reached a turnover of 13.9 billion euros, of which 1.2 billion were to the aerospace sectorwhich registered a reinvestment in R & D+I of 15.5% of its turnover, according to The annual report De TEDAE (Spanish Association of Technology Companies for Defense, Security, Aeronautics and Space (TEDAE). Within this figure, defense and security they contributed more than 8,000 million, and the impact on employment was 115,000 direct jobs and 95,000 indirects distributed in different parts of the country, with Madrid, Andalusia and the Basque Country in the head. The opportunities are not only in Spain. However, Spanish companies They are not the only that have been launched to the qualified talent hunt: the increase in defense spending has been activated throughout the continent up to 30%, So, according toor published by The confidentialthe whole sector in Europe will compete for capturing that talent. That battle for talent has made educational initiatives oriented to train new professionals that nourish the demand for labor that this sector will live in the coming years. Spanish giants wake up. The spin of Spain towards a greater investment in defense is promoting reference companies in the sector such as Indra and Navantia to expand their templates to respond to new demands. The steel industry, key to the manufacture and maintenance of military equipment, is also reactivating and plans to generate thousands of indirect jobs thanks to the increase in demand for the production of pieces and systems. Last July, Indra announced Its intention to incorporate 2,400 new employees into their defense divisions. 65% of these places would be destined for experienced personnel in the sector, while 35% of vacancies were reserved for young talent. For its part, Navantia has begun to incorporate new personnel with 45 new vacancies for its chopped Puerto Real in Cádiz, before the increase in orders for orders new patrolmen for the army. In Xataka | Italy has activated the “rearme” in Europe: the longest pendant bridge in the world will connect sicily for tanks Image | Unspash (Evgeny Opananko, Anfal Shamsudeen)

There is a ‘cover’ in the business that will generate the increase in defense spending: Telefónica

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Telefónica is not just the dean and leader in clients of Spanish telecos: it is also the one who dominates the technological tenders of the Ministry of Defense. It is no accident. AND will go to more. Why is it important. Spain has adhered to the plan to reach 5% of GDP in military spending, although maintains your plan not to invest more than 2%. In any case, there is a horizon to increase that item that will result in more than a dozen billions of euros additional to current investment. And everything indicates that Telefónica will be one of the great beneficiaries of this expansion. In figures. It is not a monopoly because there is plurality of winners, but the concentration is very high. The context. The State is the main shareholder of Telefónica with the 10% that invested –2.3 billion– in May 2024. Marc Murtrathe president who arrived six months ago, came from Indra, another participated by the State, after the SEPI forced the change in management. In detail. In the last two years, Telefónica has multiplied its presence in defense. Among the main recent contracts include: Yes, but. This concentration in state companies has a geopolitical logic. The government wants to shield military communications against foreign technological dependencies. Especially after The recent rupture with Israeli suppliers such as Elbit Systems that advocates the government. The beneficiary, according to an exclusive The confidentialit will be most likely Indra. In any case, national security justifies state control. The threat. For private competition, the panorama is complicated. With the increase in defense spending and preference for companies participated by the State, opportunities for other operators are reduced. It is a market that is nationalized by the back door. The Declaration of Murtra in Congress three weeks ago He speaks for himself: “Telefónica wants to invest in defense, but always subordinated to the defense policy that marks the ministry,” he said. Translation: We are an executing arm of the state, not an independent competitor. Deepen. The new budget of 34,000 million for 31 Special Modernization Programs It will be the great test. Telecommunications, cybersecurity, command and control systems: Everything goes through the digital infrastructure already controls. It is your time to capitalize years of investment. In Xataka | Spain refuses to spend 5% of GDP on artillery. Because what you really want is to sell it to Europe Outstanding image | Xataka

The United States has threatened reprisals to Spain if it does not put 5% of GDP in defense. Olive oil trembles

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They do not run easy times for Spanish olive oil. Still Broken marketthe turbulence in prices and suspicion of the “speculation”now an unexpected threat is added: Donald Trump’s anger. Yesterday, after the disagreement between Washington and Madrid during the NATO Summit, the Republican said he will “pay” Spain for his refusal to dedicate 5% of GDP to military spending. He did not go into details, but it was enough to stir the ghost of the tariffs. Especially for a sector, that of olive oil, with a key weight in the US. “They pay double”. It is not the first time that Donald Trump shows Your anger For the reluctance of Spain to dedicate 5% of GDP to defense, but never before had it done so round. On Wednesday, after Sánchez insisted on his refusal to reach the same expense commitment as the rest of NATO allies, the Republican warned Spain that would have to pay yes or yes. “It is terrible what Spain is doing and we will make it pay,” Trump started After the NATO summit held in The Hague. “It is the only country that refuses to pay. We are going to make them pay twice, but otherwise (…). The Spanish economy is going very well, but it could be razed if something happens.” Have I heard tariffs? The US president did not stay there. He said he would look for a way to “compensate him” and launched a notice: “We are negotiating with Spain a commercial agreement and we will make them pay double.” The experts They recognize that it is difficult for the US in less than two weeks The deadline agreed by Washington and Brussels expires to avoid a tariff war, his words have raised blisters. “It takes us out of the market”. The restlessness is greater among the sectors with the greatest presence on the other side of the Atlantic and that, therefore, more harmed would be seen if Trump uses its tariffs to ‘punish’ Spain. In 2024 our country exported goods worth more than more than 21.200 million of dollars, with a prominent weight of certain sectors, such as machinery, pharmacist or agri -food. And in the latter there are those who already recognize their concern. “It seems tremendously serious. It gives us panic and of course (if fulfilled) it completely takes us out of the market,” Recognize to the Efe Rafael Sánchez de Puerta agency, president of the Agrifood Cooperatives Oil section. The sector knows what he’s talking about, he remembers, because years ago he has already suffered The tariffs activated by Washington in the middle of Boeing-Airbus commercial war. A figure: 1,031 million. The olive oil is not the only sector that has been put on guard. In the last hours the looks have also been directed to other industries with a strong presence in the US, such as The wine or pharmacist. However The data The government shows that the oil mills are one of the most vulnerable to Trump’s anger, at least within the agricultural sector. Last year they sold in the US more than 113,400 tons of olive oil by 1,013 million of euros, 58% more than the previous year. In fact, the American is one of the largest markets in the sector, after the Italian. If the White House decided to apply levies to olive oil, Spanish producers would see how they are complicated 15% of its exports. The what … and when. The tariff ghost also caught the oil industry at a complex time, after several years marked by squalid campaigns due to droughts and a not much simpler horizon. Although farmers are enjoying a good harvest, which will overcome the 1.4 million tonsthey face a price drop in origin that has dragged them to a committed situation. So much that the Ministry of Agriculture has already moved to remove oil from the market, If you judge it necessary. Images | Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and NEUFAL54 In Xataka | The Spaniards have been telling us that olive oil is the healthiest. Science has something to say

The strange thing is not that Spain has opposed 5% of GDP for defense. The strange thing is that it was the only country

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At the gates of the Great summit From The Hague, NATO has seen how their debate on military spending had a Unexpected protagonist: Spain. Pedro Sánchez’s refusal to expand that chapter until reaching 5% of GDP has resulted in a strip and loosen between Madrid and the alliance that has resulted in a covenant in extremis which will give greater flexibility to Spain. The key will be that it meets the objectives agreed by the rest of the members, not whether or not you need 5% to achieve it. The position of Spain is interesting because it opens a background debate: should defense capacities be set based on a random percentage or based on the real needs of each country? Are general spending thresholds? A percentage: 5%. Beyond the capacities, objectives, pacts or the role of each country, over the last months the debate within NATO has revolved around a figure: 5%, the percentage of GDP that, According to the allianceeach member nation must allocate to the investment in defense. To be more precise, the idea of ​​NATO is that 3.5% is dedicated to basic expenditure, and the remaining 1.5% to “related investments”, which allows infrastructure or expense in industries. The figure is not accidental. Is exactly the commitment that He claimed Donald Trump, who in December, before even settling in the White House, already He complained openly of the low level of investment of the rest of NATO members and accused the alliance of “taking advantage” of the United States. A protagonist: Spain. With that backdrop and after months, emphasizing the idea that the allies had to increase their expense in defense, to early month NATO made it clear what its new requirement would be for the allies: to raise the 5% defense expense of GDP in 2035. The agreement was accompanied in addition to an investment plan and a list of new objectives that must be validated at the summit that will be held this week in The Hague. Before that date arrived, however, a voice that was not willing to comply with the 5%goal arose: Spain. “For Spain to commit to a 5% goal would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive,” said Pedro Sánchez in A letter Sent to NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte. In his letter he remembered that raising the investment in 5% defense of GDP would be “incompatible with our welfare state and vision of the world.” With its position, the Moncloa became A loose verse Within the alliance, which even annoying To Washington. The Giro: A letter. The disagreement between the NATO dome and Madrid did not last too long. Yesterday Sánchez revealed that both parties have reached an agreement that basically gives Spain wide to decide what percentage of its GDP dedicates to meet the objectives set by NATO. That is, the country undertakes to reach the new Capacity objectives military of the alliance, but without having to dedicate 5% of their GDP. The key is to get there, not how it gets. Sanchez even shared in X Mark Rutte’s letter confirming that NATO will be flexible in that last aspect. In it, the general secretary of the Alliance is clear: “I assume that Spain is sure that the new capacity objectives can be met with a spending trajectory of less than 5% of GDP,” Explain: “I confirm that the agreement reached at the next NATO summit will grant Spain the flexibility to determine its own sovereign trajectory to achieve the objective.” The agency, of course, will review its advances in 2029. New percentage: 2.1%. The million dollar question arrived at this point is … How much does Spain plan to invest? In 2014, NATO It was marked and the goal that the defense spending reached 2% of GDP, but many of its members were maintained last year far from that threshold that is considered today “insufficient”. Among the lags are Portugal, Italy or Canada, countries that, in some cases, have made a effort To get to the Hague Summit fulfilling 2%. In the list also appears Spain, whose investment in defense was around last year, according to The data from NATO, 1.3% of GDP. The Government It has moved token Already for the investment to reach this year in 2%, but they do not seem willing to go much further. In yesterday’s statement in which he announced the agreement with NATO, Sánchez insists that the country is in a position to comply with the rest of the allies without moving too much from the 2%threshold. “Spain will need 2.1% of its GDP to acquire and keep all personnel, all equipment, all infrastructure requested by the Alliance to deal with our abilities to those threats,” Sánchez wields. And emphasize: “2.1%, no more, or less.” “Going from 2 to 5% from here to 2035 would demand to spend about 350,000 million euros, which could only be achieved based on raising taxes at 3,000 euros per year, eliminating benefits, reducing pensions by 40% or cutting in education.” The substantive debate: capacity or percentage? The case of Spain is interesting both for what it represents within NATO and for the debate that opens: does it make sense to link the objectives of GDP expenditure percentages? What is that general threshold for? Is it only political, a mesurable consensus point, or is it really related to the capabilities of the different allies? Sanchez has gone to the background of that discussion and throws doubts about the usefulness of setting an expenditure objective such as 5%, shared by the 32 NATO members. “They think that, for example, in some countries the average salary of a soldier is three times greater than in others who are also NATO members, or that producing or acquiring these defense capacities in certain countries costs half than in others,” reason The socialist. It is not the only one in which it points in that direction. A WARNING: “Insufficient”. In A recent article Published by Andrew Horton and Putri Handrianti and … Read more

The percentage of GDP that each country allocates to Defense, exposed in this graphic with an unavoidable protagonist

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Talking about war is looking at Ukraine and Russia. The contest between the two countries It is dilated from its start in 2022, but there are many countries that are in a War situation (between them or internally) and many others in constant tension, such as Myanmar, India and Taiwan with China either Poland with Russia. And that implies one thing: They spend more money in defense. Not only them: the world is spending more money on that militarization, and in this graph prepared by Visual Capitalist We can clearly see the military spending of each country in proportion to its GDP. Spending compared to your GDP. The gross domestic product is a A country’s economy indicator. It is the sum of all the goods and services that occur within a country for a year and, if it goes up, it means that the economy produces more. If you go down, on the contrary. That money has to be reinvested, and what we are seeing is that there are countries that are increasingly investing more money from their GDP in defense. For the elaboration of the graph, the data of the International Stockholm Institute for Peace Research -sipri- and, although these data are public, there are cases such as Russia, Saudi or China Arabia in which estimates have to be resorted to. The evergreen trio. In the infographic Ukraine stands out as the country that more money in relation to its GDP has invested in defense. It is estimated that Ukraine allocated $ 64.7 billion to His military arm. It is, with a lot of difference, the country that is making the most effort in the world in this regard, but the funny thing is that others with a much lower defense percentage, reach Astronomical figures. This is because the GDP of these other countries is much higher. Thus, we see that Israel with its 8.8% of GDP in defense, Algeria with 8% or Saudi Arabia with 7.3% or approach a Russia that invests 7.1% of its GDP, which translates into about 149,000 million dollars. Then we have Chinainvesting 1.7% of its GDP – about 314,000 million dollars – and the true monster: a United States that, with its 3.4%, is estimated to invest about 997,000 million in defense. Logical. As we say, it has all the meaning that is the countries with greater tension that most invest in defense because it is not necessary to have an open war to be in those first positions. An example is Poland, which has increased spending due to recent tensions with Russia. Another example is that of Algeria, which in 2022 allocated 4.1% of its GDP to Defense and in 2024 the figure folded to 8% due to the dispute of the Western Sahara with Morocco. Alcista Trend. According to the SIPRI, although not all NATO members fulfilled their objectives, something for what Trump is pushingmilitary expenditure did increase in all of them. The aforementioned United States represents 66% of NATO spending And more than a third, they alone, of the world military spending. And the situation is far from sending. In 2023, global military expend Cold war. For contextualizing something else, the agency estimates that the United Kingdom increased its military expenditure by 2.8%, France by 6.1%, Sweden in 34% and Mexico by 66% during the last year. In total, taking world GDP, it is estimated that the world spent 2.5% of it in the army, when the last years had remained around 2.2%. And that before Europe installs rearme. In Xataka | To hunt Russian drones, Ukraine is resorting to a revolutionary technique … from World War I

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