British forces deployed worldwide on Christmas Day
Thousands of British Armed Forces personnel will remain deployed or on standby across the globe on Christmas Day, continuing operations that span Europe, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean, British Overseas Territories and the UK itself.
Troops remain on duty over Christmas
Around 19,000 British Armed Forces personnel will remain on duty or on standby over the Christmas period, including large numbers based in Scotland, as the UK maintains military readiness at home and overseas.
NATO sets out layered security guarantees for Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has set out a three-layer approach to long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, arguing that any future peace settlement must ensure Russia is unable to launch renewed aggression.
What Formula 1 can teach defence about wartime pace
Drawing on experience from Formula 1 and his work at PurpleSector, Mark Mathieson MBE argues that defence can learn practical lessons from high performance engineering as it seeks to operate at wartime pace in peacetime.
UK Government has sought ‘legal advice’ on Ajax
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that it has sought legal advice from the Government Legal Department on the troubled Ajax armoured vehicle programme, following a direct question from Mark Francois MP.
MOD cites family life and civilian jobs in troop exits
The Ministry of Defence has said that pressures on family life and opportunities outside the military remain the primary reasons personnel leave the armed forces, despite recent improvements in recruitment and retention.
Challenger 3 production tied to trials, not fixed date
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that manufacturing of the Challenger 3 main battle tank will not begin on a fixed timetable, but only once performance trials have been successfully completed.
UK rules out keeping Warrior armoured vehicles in service
The Ministry of Defence has ruled out any extension to the planned withdrawal of the Warrior armoured vehicle, confirming it will leave service in 2027 as scheduled.
UK would fight wars differently to Ukraine, MPs told
Giving evidence to the Defence Committee, Lieutenant General Anna-Lee Reilly said comparisons with Ukraine needed to be treated carefully, warning against drawing the wrong conclusions from a conflict fought under different conditions.
UK defends decision to stay out of EU SAFE scheme
On the UK decision not to proceed in the EU Security Action for Europe programme, SNP MP Kirsty Blackman questioned whether staying outside the scheme risked weakening long-term support for Ukraine.
