Opinion Section
Britain ‘defenceless’ against ballistic missile attack
Surely the capital, London, is appropriately defended, and also the independent nuclear deterrent submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde? Sorry folks, the answer is no.
The Albion class are gone, let’s move on
Ultimately, the Royal Navy is taking a calculated risk by prioritising future capabilities over retaining older, resource intenSive platforms - but will that risk pay off?
NAVAL NEWS
Mine Hunting Capability Programme ‘on track’
The Mine Hunting Capability Programme, which aims to transition from traditional mine countermeasures vessels to Maritime Autonomous Systems, remains at Amber in the latest Infrastructure and Projects Authority annual report.
How much defence spending stays in the United Kingdom?
Of the £20.68 billion in spending recorded by the Ministry of Defence over the past 12 months, 19% of contracts had a known location, with 78% of this amount allocated to suppliers based in the United Kingdom.
British assault ships may be sold to another country
The Royal Navy is exploring options to sell both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in a government-to-government sale, with reports in South American media suggestign Brazil is interested in at least one of the vessels.
AVIATION NEWS
Government blasts Tory record on defence projects
The Labour government has criticised the Conservatives’ record on defence procurement, accusing the former administration of leaving major defence projects in disarray.
Red rating for Protector drone marks decline in confidence
The Protector programme, intended to replace the Reaper remotely piloted air system, has seen its 'Delivery Confidence Assessment' downgraded from Amber to Red, according to the latest Infrastructure and Projects Authority Report for 2023-24.
MOD not tracking specific contract manufacturing locations
The Ministry of Defence recently addressed several parliamentary questions regarding its procurement processes, highlighting both the limitations of its data tracking and ongoing efforts to refine its systems.
LAND NEWS
Chagos sovereignty deal ‘unlikely’ to impact US-UK ties
A former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, and a senior figure in the previous Trump administration, told the UK Defence Journal "I think you’re going to see the Trump administration try to reverse this. They’re going to oppose handing them back".
Britain confirms L85A3 rifle replacement still underway
The Ministry of Defence has provided an update on Project GRAYBURN, the initiative to replace the standard-issue L85A3 rifle used by British Armed Forces, in response to a recent parliamentary question.
Trump likely to expect UK to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence
A former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, and a senior figure in the previous Trump administration, told us the UK's plan to eventually spend 2.5% of GDP on defence would be seen as a "positive step, but not enough," suggesting Trump would expect targets closer to 3.5%.
International News
Fact Checks
A Russian submarine, Scotland, and an odd conspiracy
A recent BBC Scotland news story about the sighting of a Russian submarine off the west coast of Scotland has sparked a flurry of odd reactions on social media.
The myth that nukes are in Scotland to keep England safe
Misconceptions can often take root and spread quickly, one incorrect claim is that the UK stores all of its nukes in Scotland because they're too dangerous to keep in England.
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