Defense giants fire a 25% profit
The defense boom boosts the order book of European defense groups such as Rheinmetall, Leonardo, Airbus, BAE Systems, Thales and Spanish Indra.
European defense companies such as Rheinmetall, Leonardo, Airbus, BAE Systems, Thales, and Indra have seen a significant increase in new orders, with over €83 billion in new contracts in the first half of 2026, a 50% growth compared to the same period last year. BAE Systems leads in new orders with €19 billion, followed by Leonardo with €16.3 billion and Rheinmetall with €14.9 billion.
The surge in demand is driven by rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, and pressure from the US to increase defense spending. The companies' order backlogs have also reached record levels, with BAE Systems at almost €100 billion and Rheinmetall at €80.5 billion.
Written by urgent.news from Expansion ES's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
