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Analysis

March 18, 2026

Iran war puts Europe’s air defence startups in the spotlight: ‘The gap is impossible to ignore’

A number of European startups like Tytan Technologies, Cambridge Aerospace and Frankenburg Technologies are aiming to build cheaper air defence systems


Anne Sraders

3 min read

Frankenburg Technologies missile. Courtesy of Frankenburg Technologies.

The war in Iran has demonstrated the need for air defence capabilities to protect against drone and missile strikes, a key topic in European defence circles, four years into Ukraine’s war with Russia.  

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Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the VC industry and deeptech startups. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

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