NAVAL NEWS
NATO mine countermeasure group wraps Baltic exercise
Exercise Northern Coasts 2025 concluded in Copenhagen on 14 September after two weeks of multinational naval training aimed at strengthening interoperability and security in the Baltic Sea, NATO stated.
Swinney deflects pressure over public contracts sent abroad
At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pressed John Swinney to commit that future public contracts for ferries and buses would be awarded to Scottish yards and manufacturers rather than sent overseas.
Warship visit signals deeper UK-Philippines defence ties
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate deployed with the UK Carrier Strike Group, has visited Manila as part of efforts to strengthen defence cooperation and expand trade links with the Philippines.
AVIATION NEWS
US approves $567m Sidewinder missile sale to Belgium
Belgium has requested up to 320 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder tactical missiles, 258 AIM-9X Block II+ missiles, 50 AIM-9X Block II tactical guidance units, and 30 AIM-9X Block II+ tactical guidance units.
UK keen to safeguard skills as Typhoon production winds down
Should any gap in production lines emerge, Pollard explained that BAE Systems has contingency plans to redeploy staff across the wider Typhoon programme and other complex combat air projects.
UK paratroopers join multinational Exercise Falcon Leap
Seventy-seven British Army paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade took part in Exercise Falcon Leap 2025 in the Netherlands, supported by Royal Air Force transport aircraft and instructors, the UK Defence Journal understands.
LAND NEWS
UK looking at £550m tactical comms support contract
The Ministry of Defence has announced plans for a Tactical Communications Logistics Support (TCLS) contract, valued at up to £550 million, to sustain the UK’s battlefield communications systems.
UK outlines role in NATO defence industrial capacity
The Ministry of Defence has detailed how the UK is supporting NATO’s push to expand defence industrial capacity across Europe.
NATO meeting in Bratislava focuses on secure info sharing
Security specialists from across NATO and its partner countries gathered in Bratislava from 17 to 19 September to discuss how to strengthen the secure exchange of classified information, according to the Alliance.