UK Defence Journal

Author: George Allison

  • U.S. Navy to use AI to speed up shipbuilding

    U.S. Navy to use AI to speed up shipbuilding

    The US Navy has committed $448 million to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence and autonomy across the shipbuilding sector, the UK Defence Journal understands.

    The investment will fund the new Shipbuilding Operating System (Ship OS), a data and software framework intended to improve output, capacity, and planning within yards and their supply chains.

    Ship OS will be built around Palantir software, with the company’s chief executive Alex Karp joining Secretary of the Navy John Phelan for the announcement at the Navy Rapid Capabilities Office Industry Day.

    Phelan said the initiative is aimed at measurable industrial outcomes. “This investment provides the resources our shipbuilders, shipyards, and suppliers need to modernize their operations and succeed in meeting our nation’s defense requirements. By enabling industry to adopt AI and autonomy tools at scale, we’re helping the shipbuilding industry improve schedules, increase capacity, and reduce costs. This is about doing business smarter and building the industrial capability our Navy and nation require.”

    According to the Department of the Navy, Ship OS will ingest data from enterprise planning tools, legacy databases, and operational feeds to identify bottlenecks, streamline engineering workflows and support risk mitigation. The Navy argues that giving yards a unified decision-making environment could tighten production cycles and improve forecasting.

    Pilot work has already taken place with submarine builders. The Navy reports that at General Dynamics Electric Boat, planning tasks that normally took 160 hours were cut to under ten minutes, while Portsmouth Naval Shipyard reduced some material review processes from weeks to under an hour.

    The first tranche of funding is earmarked for submarine-sector firms and key suppliers, with surface ship programmes to follow once methods are proven. The service frames the move as part of a push to stabilise schedules, lower programme risk and rebuild industrial resilience after years of uneven output.

    The Navy expects productivity gains and reduced delays to offset the initial cost over time, aligning the programme with wider efforts to revive the maritime industrial base and modernise defence manufacturing.

  • FCDO moves ahead with Berlin embassy security renewal

    FCDO moves ahead with Berlin embassy security renewal

    The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has launched preliminary market engagement for a new contract to renew security guarding services at the British Embassy in Berlin.

    We understand that this is a routine renewal of the British Embassy in Berlin’s security guarding contract. This does not reflect any change in the security posture at the Embassy in Berlin or any planned alteration to the current arrangements.

    A notice published on 5 January sets out plans to appoint a private security company to deliver physical guarding at the embassy from September 2026. The contract is expected to run for an initial three-year period to August 2029, with an option to extend to August 2031, and carries an estimated value of £1.17 million. The requirement covers on-site security guards and falls under the defence and security special procurement regime. The FCDO has indicated that small and medium-sized enterprises are particularly suited to participate, and that the contract value sits above the relevant procurement threshold.

    As part of the process, the department will hold an online premarket engagement event on 27 January, allowing potential suppliers to seek clarification and provide early feedback ahead of the formal tender. Companies wishing to attend must register in advance and submit a preliminary engagement questionnaire by 20 January. Suppliers have also been reminded that registration on the government’s Central Digital Platform is mandatory under the Procurement Act 2023, and that bids will be submitted via the FCDO’s Jaggaer procurement portal. The department has encouraged early registration to avoid delays once tender documents are released.

    The Berlin notice follows earlier engagement activity related to security guarding services at UK diplomatic premises in Germany, including consulates in Düsseldorf and Munich. All of the notices are linked under the same procurement identifier, suggesting they form part of a coordinated programme rather than isolated procurements.

    An earlier pipeline notice published in 2025 envisaged a single contract covering the British Embassy in Berlin alongside the two consulates. The emergence of separate engagement notices for individual locations indicates the FCDO may now be pursuing a more modular approach, potentially allowing different suppliers to bid for specific sites. The FCDO expects to publish a formal tender notice for the Berlin embassy contract in February 2026, following completion of the market engagement phase.

  • UK backs Syria pledge to eliminate chemical weapons

    UK backs Syria pledge to eliminate chemical weapons

    The UK has welcomed commitments by Syria’s new leadership to fully identify and eliminate remaining chemical weapons stockpiles, according to a statement delivered at the UN Security Council.

    Speaking in New York, UK Deputy Political Coordinator Caroline Quinn said it was now a year since the fall of the Assad regime and argued that recent steps had created an opportunity to address legacy chemical weapons issues, the UK stated.

    Quinn told the Council that “this new Syrian government has provided hope that Assad-era chemical weapons will be verifiably identified and eliminated, once and for all.” She said the UK welcomed Syria’s stated intention to comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention and meet its obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2118.

    The statement highlighted progress made during 2025 through cooperation between Syria and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Quinn said “multiple OPCW deployments to Syria have increased our understanding of the scale and scope of Assad’s chemical weapons programme”, adding that evidence of undeclared capabilities remained “a stark reminder of the threat in Syria and to the wider region.”

    She also pointed to decisions adopted by the OPCW allowing for expedited destruction of hazardous materials when discovered and steps taken in late 2025 toward restoring Syria’s rights and privileges within the organisation. The UK welcomed the establishment of a continuous OPCW presence in Syria and the appointment of a Syrian permanent representative in The Hague.

    Quinn said that despite progress, major challenges remained, particularly around resources. She told the Council that “significant and sustainable financial and in-kind support from the international community is needed to deliver the elimination of Assad’s remnant chemical weapons programme.”

    The UK, she said, had contributed more than $3.8 million since December 2024 to support OPCW missions in Syria and would continue to provide technical expertise. “We urge Council members and the wider international community to assist in this endeavour,” she added.

    Closing her remarks, Quinn said the Security Council had debated Syria’s chemical weapons file for more than a decade and expressed hope that 2026 would see further progress. “With clear commitment from Syria’s leadership to eradicate chemical weapons and to seek accountability for their use, we hope to see continued progress in 2026 to deliver these important outcomes for the Syrian people.”

  • Phil Prosser named next Chief of Defence Logistics

    Phil Prosser named next Chief of Defence Logistics

    Major General Phil Prosser CBE has been approved to become the next Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, taking up the role in October 2026 with promotion to lieutenant general.

    The appointment was approved by His Majesty the King and will see Prosser succeed Vice Admiral Andy Kyte as head of Defence Support, the organisation responsible for sustaining UK armed forces on operations. The post sits within the National Armaments Director Group and carries responsibility for strategic military logistics and support policy across Defence.

    Prosser has served in a range of senior posts across Army Headquarters, the Field Army, Defence Equipment and Support and the wider Defence Support organisation. According to the Ministry of Defence, he will lead efforts to modernise and better integrate how support is delivered across the armed forces.

    Rupert Pearce, National Armaments Director, said: “I am pleased to announce Major General Phil Prosser’s appointment as the next Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.” He added: “Phil brings unique insight and experience to this crucial role… ensuring success on the frontlines.”

    Outgoing CDLS Vice Admiral Andy Kyte said: “Phil Prosser’s appointment as the next Chief of Defence Logistics and Support is awesome news and I am delighted that he will be taking over from me.” He said Prosser was “supremely well-placed to lead the modernisation that is required” as Defence seeks to recover warfighting readiness.

    On his appointment, Prosser said: “I am delighted and incredibly proud to have been selected as the next Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.” He added: “It is a huge honour to be able to lead the organisation into the future and take forward Defence Support’s ambitious agenda as it seeks to modernise the delivery of Support.”

    As CDLS, Prosser will oversee implementation of the Defence Support Strategy and act as the functional owner for support across Defence, with responsibility for cohering and assuring logistics, maintenance and sustainment activity across the armed forces.

  • American supercarrier ‘opens fire’ in Pacific

    American supercarrier ‘opens fire’ in Pacific

    Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has carried out live-fire exercises in the South China Sea as part of routine operations by the carrier strike group in the Indo-Pacific, according to the U.S. Navy.

    Photographs released by the service show the Nimitz-class carrier firing its Close-In Weapon System during drills conducted on 8 January while underway with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. The Navy said the strike group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility, where forces conduct regular patrols intended to deter aggression and reinforce alliances.

    The U.S. Navy stated that units assigned to 7th Fleet “conduct regular Indo-Pacific patrols to deter aggression, strengthen alliances and partnerships and advance peace through strength.” The live-fire serials formed part of that broader operational posture.

    USS Abraham Lincoln is operating alongside embarked Carrier Air Wing 3 and escorted by destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. The carrier strike group has been active in the Philippine Sea since departing Guam in mid-December following a port visit, according to U.S. Navy reporting. Elsewhere in the region, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and the attack submarine USS Seawolf are also operating in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to sustained U.S. naval presence during a period when other ships have returned to homeports or conducted holiday port visits.

    USS Abraham Lincoln, commissioned in 1989, is one of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and can embark around 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The ship is equipped with layered defensive systems including the Phalanx CIWS, Rolling Airframe Missile and Sea Sparrow to protect against air and missile threats.

  • Northrop wins U.S. Marines drone combat jet award

    Northrop wins U.S. Marines drone combat jet award

    Northrop Grumman has been selected to develop a collaborative combat aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps, pairing its mission systems and autonomy software with Kratos’ Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system, according to the company.

    The award covers the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft programme, also known as MUX TACAIR, which is intended to field an uncrewed platform capable of operating alongside crewed aircraft in contested environments. Northrop Grumman said the system will be designed to support both kinetic and non-kinetic missions as part of future Marine Corps air operations.

    According to the company, the solution combines an advanced mission kit incorporating sensors and software-defined technologies with an open-architecture autonomy package known as Prism. The air vehicle itself will be based on Kratos’ Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft, which is designed for conventional take-off and landing and features a modular airframe and payload bays.

    Krys Moen, vice president for advanced mission capabilities at Northrop Grumman, said: “Northrop Grumman remains at the forefront of advanced sensing capabilities, delivering innovative solutions that meet the needs of the warfighter with unmatched speed and reliability.” He added that the approach “ensures optimal performance for both crewed and uncrewed platforms.”

    Kratos said the programme is intended to deliver capability at scale. Steve Fendley, president of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, said: “The integration of the Kratos Valkyrie aircraft system configured with the world’s best multifunction mission systems from Northrop Grumman results in a high-capability CCA at a price point that enables the uncrewed systems to be deployed in mass with crewed aircraft.”

    Northrop Grumman stated that its mission systems have been packaged into a smaller, more cost-effective form factor suitable for uncrewed aircraft, drawing on existing products and flight-tested technologies. The company said the combined Northrop Grumman and Kratos solution has completed more than 20 flight demonstrations in what it described as operationally relevant environments.

    The company added that the approach is intended to offer the Marine Corps a lower-risk and accelerated route to a deployable MUX TACAIR capability, supporting joint crewed and uncrewed expeditionary operations.

  • U.S. forces conduct strikes in Syria

    U.S. forces conduct strikes in Syria

    U.S. forces, working alongside partner militaries, carried out large-scale strikes against multiple Islamic State targets across Syria on Friday, according to U.S. Central Command.

    The strikes took place at around 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and form part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a campaign launched in December following a deadly attack on U.S. and Syrian personnel in Palmyra, according to CENTCOM.

    U.S. Central Command said the operation was initiated “in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on Dec. 13, 2025”. That attack resulted in the deaths of “two American soldiers and one U.S. civilian interpreter”, the command stated.

    According to CENTCOM, the latest strikes were intended to degrade ISIS activity across Syria and prevent further attacks on coalition forces. The command said the operation reflects “our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region.”

    CENTCOM added that U.S. and coalition forces “remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States” and warned that those responsible for attacks on U.S. personnel would continue to be targeted.

    The command said the strikes were conducted under the authority of President Trump and added that operations against ISIS in Syria are ongoing as part of wider counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

  • Report warns Royal Navy eroding its strategic thinking

    Report warns Royal Navy eroding its strategic thinking

    A new policy brief argues that the Royal Navy has weakened its ability to think strategically at a time of growing international pressure, warning that the loss of dedicated analytical capacity risks undermining long-term fighting effectiveness, according to the author.

    In a paper published by PolicyBrief, Sinking the third component of the Royal Navy’s fighting power, James Pritchett of the University of Hull contends that the effective disappearance of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre has hollowed out what he describes as the Navy’s “conceptual” component of fighting power. He argues this sits alongside the physical and moral components and is essential to adapting to future conflict.

    According to the brief, the reduction in institutional strategic thinking comes as the Royal Navy faces renewed challenges from Russian naval regeneration, uncertainty over long-term US commitment to European security, and China’s growing maritime assertiveness. Pritchett situates the argument in the context of recent defence debates, incuding the UK’s Strategic Defence Review and evolving US strategic priorities. The paper draws on the framework popularised by strategist Colin S. Gray, who argued that military power rests on physical, moral and conceptual foundations. Pritchett writes that while the Royal Navy has continued to invest in platforms, personnel and morale, its ability to sustain critical thought and institutional learning has diminished.

    He argues that the loss of the RN Strategic Studies Centre represents more than an internal reorganisation. In the brief, Pritchett states that “the loss of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre is not only a sign that the Navy is losing its grip on the conceptual component of its fighting power, but also a weakening in its efforts at creating a Navy-wide learning organisation”.

    The paper stresses that this is not a call to over-academise frontline activity, but a warning about long-term consequences. Pritchett writes that “this has not been an argument for the intellectualisation of the practical business of sailing and fighting”, but rather a case for sustained engagement with theory and history across a naval career. He questions how the Royal Navy now tests assumptions, challenges doctrine and develops future concepts without a dedicated body for independent analysis. The brief asks: “Without it, who is guarding the conceptual component of the Royal Navy’s fighting power? How and where does it really think?”

    The paper concludes that the current balance of investment is strategically unsound. Pritchett argues that “given the comparable investment in the other two components of the Royal Navy’s fighting power, the apparent abandonment or diminution of the conceptual component is a strategic error”, adding that the situation “needs reversing – at pace”.

    The brief was published in January by PolicyBrief and is, they say, intended to inform debate on naval reform, professional military education and how the Royal Navy adapts intellectually to an increasingly contested maritime environment.

  • Asked about Army, Minister says he’d ‘join the Marines’

    Asked about Army, Minister says he’d ‘join the Marines’

    Armed Forces Minister Al Carns drew a brief moment of levity in the House of Commons this week after answering a question on recruitment with a characteristically clear response.

    During a debate on veterans’ welfare and the impact of Northern Ireland legacy legislation, Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked whether concerns about future prosecutions for service personnel might deter the minister himself from joining the British Army if he were making the decision today. Carns replied: “No, I would join the Royal Marines.”


    The exchange appeared to catch some attention in the chamber, not least because Carns is a former Royal Marines colonel and currently serves as a reservist, a detail that appeared to have been overlooked in the question. The remark came shortly after the minister had set out what he described as the government’s record on veterans’ support, citing increased funding and expanded programmes across housing, healthcare and transition into civilian life.

    Carns told MPs the government had put £50 million into the Valour initiative, expanded Op Restore, and rolled out Op Courage with £21 million for veterans’ mental health support. He said more than 4,100 referrals had been made under Op Fortitude, with over 1,000 veterans supported into housing. He added that the Career Transition Partnership was “second-to-none” and argued that veterans were being better supported than at any point in the past decade.

    The debate then moved onto more serious ground, with Conservative MP Charlie Dewhirst raising concerns about the government’s Troubles Bill and whether former members of paramilitary organisations could sit on a proposed legacy commission. Dewhirst said Northern Ireland veterans and victims were outraged and asked for assurances that terrorists would not sit alongside families of victims. Carns said he had worked closely with the Northern Ireland Office and argued the legacy commission would have the strongest powers yet to examine evidence, adding that it was the best route to “truth, reconciliation and justice.”

    Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord later questioned whether the service justice system could command confidence among potential recruits, citing past debates over court martial versus civilian trials. Carns responded that the system had undergone significant reform since 2021, pointing to the establishment of the Defence Serious Crime Command and improved victim support units. He said the system was “fully fit for purpose” and had his “utter confidence.”

  • L3Harris restructures into three core business segments

    L3Harris restructures into three core business segments

    L3Harris Technologies has reorganised its operations from four business segments into three, a change the company says is intended to better align its portfolio with future defence requirements, according to the company.

    Under the new structure, L3Harris will operate three segments. Space & Mission Systems will be led by Sam Mehta, Communications & Spectrum Dominance by Jon Rambeau, and Missile Solutions by Ken Bedingfield. In addition to leading Missile Solutions, Bedingfield will continue in his role as senior vice president and chief financial officer. The company also announced the appointment of Ed Zoiss as vice president for engineering and innovation.

    According to L3Harris, the Space & Mission Systems segment will bring together satellite and payload activities, including missile warning and defence capabilities, alongside maritime, air special missions, and other defence and civil government programmes. Communications & Spectrum Dominance will consolidate the company’s resilient communications and electronic warfare activities, while Missile Solutions will combine propulsion, hypersonics and other advanced missile-related technologies.

    Commenting on the reorganisation, L3Harris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Kubasik said: “This change thoughtfully organises common business models, technical capabilities and investment priorities.” He added: “Enabling the Arsenal of Freedom requires action, and we’re now best poised to deliver the speed, technology and commerciality required by our most important customer – the warfighter.”

    The company stated that further details on the reorganisation, including the realignment of its 2025 financial results into the new three-segment structure, will be provided during its earnings call scheduled for 29 January. L3Harris has not indicated whether the changes will result in workforce adjustments or alterations to existing programmes.