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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
03 Jun 25. DASA launches Phase 2 (Cycle 5) of fast paced Themed Competition. This competition seeks fast paced scalable proposals across five challenge areas
- DASA has launched Phase 2 (Cycle 5) of Innovation in Support of Operations
- Funded by the Ministry of Defence
- Cycle 5 closes on 5 August 2025 at 12:00 Midday (BST)
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch Phase 2 (Cycle 5) of our fast paced Themed Competition Innovation in Support of Operations. Run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, this competition is looking for innovative proposals that are cost competitive, designed for manufacture, and can be scaled in an approximate twelve-month timeframe.
Competition key information
Background: Why we need innovation in this area
The UK Government continuously evaluates insights from global events, to rapidly implement solutions that strengthen military and economic advantage.
This competition aims to identify and accelerate innovative solutions and techniques, ensuring they can be scaled and deployed faster than our adversaries.
If you think you have an innovation that could be deployed at pace, please read the full Competition Document and submit a proposal
Competition challenges
This competition has five challenge areas:
- UAS Propulsion
In this challenge area we are looking for:
- Novel means of propulsion for small to medium UAS.
- Novel means of manufacture/design of traditional UAS engines for small to medium UAS to increase scale of manufacture at a market leading price.
We are not looking for the UAS platforms themselves, but you will need to demonstrate your solution on a representative platform or in another appropriate form of demonstration.
- 155mm Artillery Barrel Repair/Recondition
We are looking for innovative solutions to repair or recondition 155mm artillery barrels in order to extend barrel life under these conditions.
- Autonomous navigation systems
In this challenge we are seeking autonomous navigation systems for air vehicles and/or maritime surface vessels.
- Seekers
We are looking for novel systems directed against:
- RF transmitters at frequencies ranging from 200 MHz to 40 GHz
- Class I(d), Class II and Class III UAS *
- Medium to large maritime surface targets.
*Please refer to the table in the full Competition Document
5.UAS defeat
This challenge relates to the ability to:
- Detect UAS. We are seeking solutions to detect (and potentially defeat) UAS, including those that are not reliant on RF links.
- Destroy UAS. We are looking for novel solutions to destroy UAVs around the Class 1(d) size, once detected.
Proposals could address either Detect or Destroy or both.
These challenges are designed to identify innovations that could be deployed, at an appropriate scale, in operational areas within 12 months.
For full details of the competition Challenge Areas, please read the Competition Document
Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)
For this competition we are seeking technology output and demonstration to reach at least technology readiness level (TRL) 6 by the end of the project.
If you think your innovation could meet one of the Challenges, why not read the full Competition Document and submit a proposal?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/competitioninnovation-in-support-of-operations-phase-2-cycle-5 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
03 Jun 25. SDR supports more A400Ms and civilian airlift solutions. The Strategic Defence Review outlines plans to significantly enhance the UK’s strategic and tactical airlift capabilities, with a focus on relieving pressure on core military assets and increasing flexibility across the air mobility fleet. Central to the recommendations is a proposal to augment the existing fleet of A400M Atlas aircraft, either by procuring additional airframes or supplementing them through civilian charter and sponsored service options. This approach is intended to reduce routine demand on RAF air transport that does not require military capability, freeing up military platforms for high-end operational and contingency roles.
The review explicitly states: “Augmenting the existing fleet of A400M with either more A400M, civilian charter, and/or sponsored service options, reducing routine demand on RAF air transport that does not require military capability.”
It goes further to suggest broadening the strategy beyond the A400M, encompassing the RAF’s Voyager and C-17 fleets, and integrating commercially sourced aircraft for both logistical lift and air-to-air refuelling roles in non-contested environments. This dual-track approach aims to improve readiness, offer better value for money, and ensure the RAF retains critical mass and resilience in strategic mobility.
“Augmenting the RAF’s fleet of Voyager, C-17, and A400M aircraft with civilian charter options for transporting people and cargo, and for air-to-air refuelling in non-contested environments would offer greater flexibility, efficiency, and value for money.”
The recommendations reflect broader themes across the review — namely, the adoption of public-private partnerships, improved productivity through better asset utilisation, and a shift toward modular, adaptable logistics models. (Source: Google/UKDJ)
01 Jun 25. UK signals progress on drone sub-hunting fleet for Atlantic. The Ministry of Defence has published a formal pipeline notice for “Project CABOT – ATLANTIC NET,” marking the next step toward fielding a fleet of autonomous sub-hunting vessels in the North Atlantic. Previously reported by the UK Defence Journal, Project CABOT represents the Royal Navy’s long-term effort to digitise anti-submarine warfare (ASW) through uncrewed surface and subsurface platforms. The newly issued Prior Information Notice, published on 30 May 2025, confirms that the first phase of the programme is entering its early procurement stage. The contract, estimated at up to £20 m over 4.5 years, outlines the delivery of “ASW as a service” using a Contractor Owned, Contractor Operated, Naval Oversight (COCONO) model. The Ministry of Defence intends to work with industry partners to deploy lean-crewed, remotely operated, or autonomous uncrewed systems. These would gather acoustic data and relay it to a secure Remote Operations Centre (ROC), where Royal Navy personnel will analyse it using AI- and machine learning-assisted tools. The new notice builds on previous MOD documentation outlining how CABOT’s ATLANTIC NET phase aims to increase persistence and mass at sea. The goal is to create a distributed network of autonomous systems to cover the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap — a critical maritime chokepoint for detecting Russian submarine movements. As the MOD previously described, CABOT will “accelerate the RN’s pivot to autonomy with a specific focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare,” complementing crewed platforms and relieving pressure on traditional Royal Navy vessels by assigning routine monitoring tasks to automated systems. This work follows earlier progress under Project CHARYBDIS and the Defence Innovation Unit’s “ASW Spearhead” programme. It also draws on progress made under NATO’s Smart Defence initiative to establish an automated ASW barrier using digital, networked platforms. Project CABOT will be delivered in two stages. Phase One – ATLANTIC NET, now in early market engagement, will use commercial providers to operate surveillance platforms with Royal Navy oversight. (Source: Google/UKDJ)
02 June 25. EU approves British, Italian, Japanese joint venture for combat aircraft. The European Union said on Monday it had approved a joint venture between BAE Systems (Holdings) Limited, Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd and Leonardo S.p.A., which will be the prime contractor and lead systems integrator for the Global Combat Air Programme. The joint venture will develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft for use by the governments of Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan, with the potential for other sales to other jurisdictions or government buyers in the future, the European Commission said. The companies have said they would each hold a 33.3% share and that the new firm would be headquartered in Britain and its first CEO would be from Italy. Separately, France, Germany and Spain are working on their own next-generation fighter project, raising concerns from some in the industry who wonder if Europe can sustain two decades-long programmes. (Source: Reuters)
01 Jun 25. Royal Navy escort fleet to grow by 78% to 25 ships: report. The Royal Navy could see its destroyer and frigate fleet grow from 14 to 25 vessels, according to a report by The Sunday Times, marking the most significant expansion of Britain’s surface escort force in a generation. The news comes ahead of the government’s strategic defence review, set to be launched on Monday, which outlines plans to restore Britain’s military strength in response to growing global threats. As part of this agenda, the review will reportedly back a resurgence in shipbuilding — a key component of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s aim to place defence at the heart of national economic renewal. According to The Sunday Times, the government’s plan includes a new underwater surveillance programme named Atlantic Bastion, led by the Royal Navy. The initiative is designed to counter Russian threats to critical subsea infrastructure, including internet cables and energy pipelines — a growing concern following recent sabotage incidents in European waters. The move to increase the number of Royal Navy escorts signals a major shift in defence posture, reflecting the heightened emphasis on maritime security in an era of increasing Russian naval activity and global instability. At present, the UK fields six Type 45 destroyers and eight frigates, a number widely regarded by experts as insufficient to meet operational demands and alliance commitments. Raising the total to 25 ships would not only reverse years of decline but also bolster the UK’s ability to maintain persistent presence operations, escort task groups, and contribute to NATO maritime forces at scale. (Source: Google/UKDJ)
02 Jun 25. MoD plots £1.5bn radar upgrade as wind farms threaten to conceal attacks. Military chiefs fear interference will impede the RAF to detect enemy missiles and aircrafts. Military chiefs are planning a £1.5bn upgrade of Britain’s radar defences amid fears that the growing number of wind farms risks leaving the country blind to attacks. Under the Ministry of Defence’s “Njord” programme, named after the Norse god of sea and wind, seven air defence radar stations around the country will be replaced or improved to ensure they are not confused by interference from turbines. There are already 3,352 operational or under-construction wind turbines in UK waters, according to the Crown Estate, with another 1,000 at least set to be deployed by 2030 to meet the Government’s net zero targets. Without measures to tackle the problem, military chiefs fear the interference will impede the ability of the Royal Air Force to detect enemy missiles and aircraft. Each radar station upgrade will be worth up to £210m and the Ministry of Defence opened the bidding process earlier this year, with several unnamed defence companies in the running.
An industry source said: “They are concerned that, without mitigation, you are going to see a deterioration of radar coverage if you build all the wind farms envisaged under the 2030 targets. That would potentially reduce the time you have to respond to threats, as well as the probability of detecting them, and so would leave the country more vulnerable to attacks.”
‘A unique and detrimental impact’
The interference problem occurs when turbine blades reflect the electromagnetic pulses pinged out by radar stations, generating unhelpful background noise for the system operators. Each blade on a turbine can generate a false return, creating the potential for massive disruption from some sites. The first two phases of Dogger Bank, the UK’s biggest wind farm, boast 190 turbines alone. But the Ministry of Defence has warned that every wind farm that is built “will have a unique, detrimental impact” on its ability to detect threats such as missiles or hostile aircraft, “as they reduce the volume of air space that the radars can effectively survey”. As a result, military officials have been studying options to fix the problem. This could include attempting to mask the turbines by putting radar-absorbing paint on them – similar to the kind used by stealth aircraft such as the F-35 – or through computer software fixes that scrub phoney signals out of readings automatically. Other companies have suggested turning the wind turbines themselves into assets, rather than liabilities, by fixing an array of sensors to them such as cameras, microphones and radio aerials that could detect the presence of enemy threats. Under the upgrade plans, work on the first four sites – Neatishead in Norfolk, Staxton Wold in North Yorkshire, Brizlee Wood in Northumberland and Buchan in Aberdeenshire – would begin in July 2026, according to transparency documents. Work is expected to start on the other three – Saxa Vord in the Shetlands, Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides and Portreath in Cornwall – in October 2027. The contracts are expected to last for 120 weeks.
An MoD spokesman said: “As we build the next generation of large-scale offshore windfarms, we are looking at innovative ways to mitigate any impact on the UK’s air defence capability.” (Source: Daily Telegraph)
30 May 25. Could new British jets be built in Scotland? The Ministry of Defence has confirmed continued engagement with British aircraft developer Aeralis as it considers options for replacing the RAF’s Hawk fast jet trainer. Speaking in the House of Commons, Alan Gemmell, MP for Central Ayrshire, pressed the Government to back Prestwick as the site for future production of Aeralis’s proposed aircraft.
“The Minister may know that I have spent months convincing British scale-up Aeralis to choose Prestwick as the location at which it will build a proposed Hawk replacement—the first British jet built in 50 years. That would create 4,000 jobs,” said Gemmell.
“Will she do all she can to bring Aeralis to Prestwick, and make the Red Arrows British and Scottish?”
In response, Defence Minister Maria Eagle acknowledged Aeralis’s progress and reiterated the MOD’s active interest in the programme.
“I have met representatives of Aeralis on a number of occasions, as have my senior officials,” said Eagle. “The MOD has provided the company with considerable support as it develops its concept of a modular aircraft with digital design. The Department remains engaged with Aeralis, and with the sector as a whole, to seek a solution that will generate the combat air pilots of the future.”
Aeralis is proposing a modular aircraft platform designed to replace the ageing Hawk T2 fleet and meet future RAF training needs. The platform’s innovative design allows various mission roles to be supported with a common core fuselage, cutting costs and simplifying maintenance. Prestwick is one of the candidate sites under consideration by Aeralis for production. A facility there would create thousands of jobs and mark a significant milestone—potentially becoming the first British-designed and built military jet project in half a century. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
EUROPE
04 Jun 25. Poland, Baltic states eye new submarines, attack boats to deter Russia. Poland and the Baltic states are accelerating efforts to acquire new submarines and vessels that will broaden their capabilities suitable for the sea’s shallow waters. In Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the country’s deputy prime minister and defense minister, has said his ministry aims to order between three and four new submarines for the Polish Navy until the end of this year. The planned procurement, which is pursued under the Orka (Orca) program, is deemed urgent, as the country’s naval forces rely on a single Soviet-designed submarine, the Kilo-class ORP Orzel, whose outdated technology and equipment makes it incompatible with the requirements of modern naval warfare. While a number of countries are competing to secure the potential order from Warsaw, the ministry has disclosed that its experts assigned the highest scores to the offers placed by Germany, Sweden and Italy. In 2023, Poland unveiled that 11 entities took part in a market consultation. Known competitors include France’s Naval Group, German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Italy’s Fincantieri, Spain’s Navantia, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai, Sweden’s Saab, and the U.K.’s Babcock. A spokesperson for the Polish ministry told Defense News that, while three offers have received the highest scores from the Polish Armaments Agency, the military’s procurement arm, the remaining submarines have not been discarded amid ongoing talks with foreign governments.
“Currently, government-level talks are being held. Following the decision of the Technical Modernization Council, the Armaments Agency will take steps with the aim to acquire these submarines,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Latvia and Lithuania have joined forces to buy multipurpose attack boats from Finnish shipbuilder Marine Alutech. Under the Common Future Multipurpose Attack Craft (CFMAC) program, the shipyard is to develop and deliver combat vessels based on the Watercat M18 design to the two Baltic States’ militaries.
“This contract is the second step after the 2024 Technical Agreement between Latvia, Lithuania and Finland to strengthen regional defense. Under this contract, Lithuania will acquire two advanced Fast Multirole Attack Crafts from Marine Alutech,” the Finnish shipbuilder said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence told Defense News the two multirole attack craft that are to be built for the country’s Navy will be integrated into the Coastal Defense Battalion.
The acquisition “will significantly enhance Lithuania’s naval defense capabilities. These vessels will feature advanced combat systems, including Spike NLOS missile launchers and a remote heavy machine gun control system, which will enable them to engage both maritime and land-based targets effectively,” the ministry’s representative said.
“Furthermore, the boats are specially designed for operations in shallow waters, allowing them to perform missions in areas such as the Curonian Lagoon, where conventional vessels may struggle. This unique design and propulsion system will ensure that Lithuania can maintain a rapid response capacity for a variety of threats, ranging from asymmetric warfare to traditional defense operations,” the spokesperson added.
The vessels are scheduled to enter service in the Lithuanian Navy in late 2026.
“The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has plans to further expand and modernize naval capabilities in the coming years. Between 2030 and 2037, Lithuania is preparing for a progressive modernization of its naval fleet,” said the ministry representative. “This initiative will include the acquisition of new multirole offshore patrol vessels, which will be equipped with advanced capabilities to address evolving security challenges.”
Based in Teijo, on the Finnish Baltic Sea shore, Marine Alutech says that its shipyard has built more than 500 vessels since 1985. (Source: Defense News)
02 Jun 25. Belgium May Acquire 21 more F-35A Fighters to Fulfill NATO Defense Requirements. According to information published by De Morgen on June 2, 2025, the Belgian government is preparing to finalize a strategic order for 21 additional F-35A fighter aircraft, bringing its total fleet to 55 units. This move is part of a broader €36bn investment plan aimed at modernizing the country’s armed forces by 2035. Scheduled ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, the decision is intended to demonstrate Belgium’s commitment to meeting Alliance standards, particularly the target of allocating 2% of GDP to defense spending, amid growing geopolitical tensions with Russia. The initial order of 34 F-35As, signed in 2018 to replace the aging F-16 fleet, now marks a full transition to a fifth-generation fighter capability. The F-35A is a multirole stealth aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) capabilities, designed for missions such as air superiority, precision strikes, reconnaissance, close air support, and electronic warfare. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine producing up to 43,000 pounds of thrust, enabling speeds up to Mach 1.6 and altitudes exceeding 15,000 meters, with an operational range of 2,220 km. Its stealth design and integrated weapon systems allow it to operate in contested environments with reduced detection risk. Each aircraft is equipped with an AN/APG-81 AESA radar, an Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) providing 360-degree infrared surveillance. The pilot uses a Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS) that projects mission data directly onto the visor. The F-35A is armed with an internal 20mm M61A2 cannon, AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, and precision-guided air-to-ground munitions such as GBU-31 JDAM, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, and AGM-88 HARM missiles for targeting enemy air defense systems. The aircraft also features an integrated electronic warfare suite and secure data links for coordination with allied forces and defense against radar and missile threats. Approximately €5bn from Belgium’s defense plan will be dedicated to this air capability, covering future software upgrades (including the transition to Block 4 standard), long-term maintenance, support infrastructure, and participation in a European project for independent management of F-35 data systems. This initiative is aimed at reducing dependency on the United States and aligns with a broader strategic objective of technological sovereignty. To ease political concerns within the ruling coalition, Belgium secured a commitment that the additional aircraft would be assembled in Italy, reinforcing the European dimension of the program. The remainder of the military investment plan includes initiatives across other components: the formation of a second motorized brigade in cooperation with France, acquisition of a third naval combat vessel, re-establishment of an air defense capability through ten NASAMS batteries, and expanded efforts in cybersecurity. These areas will be addressed through separate contracts in the coming months, each tailored to specific capability objectives. With the additional F-35A order, Belgium is taking a significant step in the transformation of its armed forces. This air component of the Francken plan reflects a deliberate adaptation to NATO operational requirements at a time when evolving security conditions in Europe demand coordinated and credible responses. (Source: Google/armyrecognition.com)
30 May 25. Dutch NATO math portends uphill battle for Europe on defense spending. The Netherlands worked out the costs of meeting NATO’s new capability targets, providing a taste of the billion-euro budget challenge European members of the alliance face to boost their military posture in the face of a more aggressive Russia. The Dutch calculate that meeting their share of the targets will cost at least €16bn to €19bn ($18bn-$21bn) a year on top of the existing defense budget, Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans told parliament in a letter last week. That would amount to about 3.5% of GDP, from 2% now – conveniently also the core defense spending target that NATO leadership is calling for. NATO’s Capability Targets 2025, to be formally set at a summit in The Hague in June, will significantly increase the requirements compared to previous targets, according to the Dutch. The CT25 focus will be on ground-based air and missile defense, ground-based fire support, land maneuver units and joint enablers, Brekelmans said. For the larger economies of Germany, France and the U.K., meeting the new targets means “we’re no longer talking about a few bn extra per year, but tens of billions,” said Dick Zandee, senior research fellow at Dutch think tank Clingendael Institute and former head of planning at the European Defence Agency. The three countries have the biggest defense budgets of European NATO members, spending a little over 2% of GDP on their military. The Netherlands is Europe’s sixth-biggest spender, lifting its 2025 defense budget to €22bn euros from €21.4bn last year. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded NATO countries increase military spending to 5% of GDP, threatening to pull out of the alliance if members don’t pay up. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this week he expects alliance members to agree to a 5% spending target in The Hague, with a proposal for 3.5% of GDP for direct military spending and another 1.5% for related spending such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. The Netherlands also estimates meeting the new NATO capability targets will require 17,000 to 18,000 more personnel. While the 32-nation alliance typically keeps the capability targets secret, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Adm. Pierre Vandier said in March the alliance will ask members to raise military capability targets by 30% – even with allies already 30% behind on delivering on existing goals. The Dutch say the NATO “standard path” to fully meet the capability targets has been 19 years, but current threats make a faster build-up necessary, and NATO expects “a significant part will already be built up in the coming years.” Brekelmans says around €9bn to €10bn of the calculated costs and 8,500 to 9,000 of the personnel count are attributable to the Netherlands not yet having fully met NATO’s 2021 capability targets. While NATO defense planning is based on the principle that all the capabilities are realized, “in practice of course, that is never achieved,” Zandee said. Neighboring Germany and Belgium have similar issues as the Netherlands of having to play catch up with the 2021 targets, with personnel shortages partially explaining the shortcomings, he said.
“All countries are coming out of roughly two decades of severe budget cuts, all countries to a varying degree donated to Ukraine, reducing stocks and supplies,” Zandee said. “The Netherlands is not really in a unique position in this regard.”
The calculations by Brekelmans exclude the costs of host nation support, with Dutch responsibility within the alliance for large-scale transfer of military equipment, as well as homeland defense and military activities outside the NATO treaty area, such as the Caribbean Netherlands. That means total defense costs would exceed 3.5% of GDP, according to Brekelmans. The Netherlands has typically been transparent about the costs of NATO targets, according to Zandee. Publishing the figures serves a political purpose in trying to muster broad parliamentary and coalition-government support for a bigger defense budget, a politically sensitive issue in the country, and gain popular support for more spending, he said. Spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense is achievable for a country like the Netherlands with healthy public finances, and also quite doable for Scandinavian countries, Zandee said. For countries in southern Europe with high debt levels “it does become a big problem,” for example in France, where more defense spending will mean more borrowing. Italy, Spain and Belgium, among the NATO members that spend the least on defense relative to their economy, all have government debt to GDP ratios above 100%. Greece and France, the other European Union countries in NATO whose debt exceeds GDP, have historically been bigger military spenders. By contrast, the Netherlands had a debt to GDP ratio of 43.3% at the end of 2024, while for Germany the ratio was 62.5%. Zandee expects Germany under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz will agree to the 3.5% target, the British as loyal allies will commit despite “major financial problems,” while the Netherlands will ultimately also go along.
“The problem mainly starts in Belgium and then further south,” Zandee said. “The French will simply take the budgetary risk, because they are not going to back down. But the Italians and the Spanish in particular will have to perform some fancy maneuvering.”
Some countries are already well on their way to meeting the NATO target. Estonia announced in April that it would increase defense spending to 5.4% of GDP already in 2026 and through to 2029, for an additional €2.8bn of additional budget over four years, with the government saying spending would take into account the NATO capability targets. Meanwhile, Denmark said in February it will spend an additional 50bn Danish kroner (US$7.6bn) in 2025 and 2026 to strengthen its armed forces in the short term, also with a view to NATO demands and capability targets, lifting defense spending to above 3% of GDP. Poland is the only NATO country that has already met the new target, spending 4.1% of GDP on defense in 2024, for total spending of around $35bn. Some countries may agree to 3.5% of core defense spending in The Hague with no intention of ever reaching the target, to keep NATO alive, even if they won’t say so publicly, Zandee said. He said the same happened with the 2% spending target agreed in Wales in 2014.
“When it comes to the survival of the alliance and keeping the Americans in, I think even those countries will simply agree to it,” Zandee said. “That 3.5% is almost a done deal. If Trump can wave that one piece of paper and say, ‘I’ve achieved all this,’ then the NATO summit will have been a success, it’s as simple as that.” (Source: Defense News)
USA
06 Jun 25. Retrofitting Qatari jet as Air Force One for Trump to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Air Force says. It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari luxury Boeing 747 jetliner to fly as the new Air Force One, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. military accepted the gift from Qatar to transport U.S. President Donald Trump. Retrofitting the 13-year-old plane, which has a luxurious interior, will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. “It’s probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft,” Meink told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. Democratic lawmakers have said it could cost more than $1bn to retrofit the plane. (Source: Reuters)
05 Jun 25. DLA Fuels Maritime Superiority With $5bn Contract. The Defense Logistics Agency Maritime Mechanicsburg, located in Pennsylvania, recently awarded a $5bn contract to six small businesses, expediting support for Virginia-class submarines and active surface ships, in a move that will significantly enhance the nation’s maritime advantage. The Maritime Acquisition Advancement Contract is designed to accelerate DLA’s procurement of integrated weapons systems equipment and services. The awardees will play a vital role in providing essential resources for the Navy’s latest class of advanced capability nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines. With five one-year options, each valued at $1bn, the MAAC could potentially reach a total of $10bn. At an April 8, 2025, hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Navy leaders emphasized that strengthening supply chain capacity is crucial to achieving the goal of building two Virginia-class submarines per year. The submarines will replace the aging Los Angeles-class fleet.
“This contract supports a mission that’s a top priority at the highest level,” said Elizabeth Allen, DLA Maritime Mechanicsburg’s deputy director, underscoring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s emphasis on the Virginia-class program.
The MAAC, a yearlong endeavor, culminated in a competitive acquisition process that yielded nine offers. Contracting Officer Brian Stevens said it will propel DLA’s support for the Navy into the future and highlighted its alignment with the Defense Department’s guiding principle of “speed over process.”
“We created this vehicle to do more with less — we can do larger contracts faster, which coincides perfectly with the Virginia-class initiative,” Stevens said. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done.”
Allen further explained that the multi-award structure was essential to handle the sheer volume and requirements.
“There are significantly long lead times the Navy faces … this contracting vehicle streamlines and reduces our end of the administrative lead time,” she noted, adding that “it leverages innovative methods to get items into contract quickly.”
Timothy McCloskey, acquisition director for DLA Maritime Mechanicsburg, explained the contract’s widespread impact is broad in scope.
“It’s not just a benefit for DLA here in Mechanicsburg; it’s a benefit for any other buying activity that wants to use it,” he said.
Nestled within Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, DLA Maritime Mechanicsburg is responsible for procuring depot-level repairable assets, directly supporting Naval Supply Systems Command’s surface, submarine and aircraft carrier operations. The detachment falls under Columbus, Ohio-based DLA Land and Maritime, which manages the supply chains for thousands of land-based and sea-based weapons systems. Allen said the team has already engaged with other DLA detachments and naval shipyards and is planning roadshows to reach other commands that may want to utilize the contract vehicle. She stressed the MAAC’s inherent flexibility and responsiveness to the dynamic needs of the Navy and its warfighters.
“It’s one team, one fight,” she said. “We’re working together with the Navy — they’re excited about this contract vehicle, and we’re engaged with industry. They’re seeing the benefits. They know the need, they know the criticality of the items and they’re ready to go.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
30 May 25. DOGE can now review most unclassified Pentagon contracts. The Pentagon announced this week that the Department of Government Efficiency will now get a chance to assess nearly all unclassified contracts before they’re awarded. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a memo published Wednesday that the office, created by the Trump administration and bnaire Elon Musk, may now review solicitations, requirements and cost estimates for new contracts and modifications. The order excludes requirements packages for overseas contingency operations, contracts with performance outside the U.S., and awards under $1 m. The authority will initially apply to communications and utilities contracts, advisory and assistance services and professional support services. The directive adds another step to what many already see as a cumbersome Defense Department acquisition process. The document does not lay out what authority DOGE will have to alter or cancel awards, though it does put some administrative restrictions on the timeline for DOGE’s involvement, giving the office just two days to conduct a review.
President Donald Trump established DOGE on his first day in office to “maximize government efficiency and productivity.” The office, which is not a Cabinet-level entity, has been met with mixed reviews, facing accusations of inflated savings claims and cuts motivated by ideology rather than frugality. Agency leads like Hegseth have praised the cuts as helping reduce federal spending. Some lawmakers, including Republicans like Rep. Don Bacon, R-NE, have expressed reservations about DOGE’s “rash” decision making, despite supporting its underlying mission. Democrats have widely criticized the efforts, which have slashed funding for foreign aid, gutted the federal civilian workforce and reduced spending on basic research. In a video posted on X Wednesday, Hegseth said DOGE has uncovered more than $10bn in savings and cost avoidance at the Pentagon. Much of that total — which includes both obligated funds and projected future spending — has come from canceling large management and consulting contracts.
“We’re committed to reducing bloated bureaucracy and wasteful spending in factor of increased lethality,” he said. “That’s a tradeoff I will take every day — converting consultants into combat power.”
Along with his memo empowering DOGE to review military contracts, Hegseth issued another directive barring acquisition offices from issuing new IT consulting or management services contracts unless the requirements can’t be met in-house or provided by a “direct service provider.” It would also significantly limit what contracts the department may issue for advisory and assistance services. The memo, also published Wednesday, says DOD entities should rely more heavily on the department’s internal, full-time workforce and should only use contractors for roles that are not inherently governmental or for tasks that can’t be performed by DOD employees.
“While we rely on our vital industrial base to deliver cutting-edge technology and support, we must in-source more expertise and harness the unparalleled talent of our existing experts to drive financial efficiency and operational strength,” Hegseth said in the memo. “We will become lean and mean, eliminating wasteful practices and reallocating resources to fortify our strategic edge.”
That heavier reliance on in-house expertise comes as the Pentagon implements an 8% cut to its civilian workforce and could put more strain on the personnel that remain. (Source: Defense News)
REST OF THE WORLD
06 Jun 25. John Cockerill Defense and Viettel Group announces collaboration. Belgium-based John Cockerill Defense and Vietnam state-owned company Viettel High Tech has entered into an agreement aimed at establishing a long-term cooperation framework to develop, produce and market a range of advanced, high-technology land-defence systems, the companies announced on 27 May. According to John Cockerill Defense, this strategic collaboration aims to leverage its strength in weapons and vehicle systems design, development, production and marketing, while Viettel will offer its expertise in defence electronics, sensors, systems integration and production.
“Vietnam is delivering sustained economic growth and Viettel is a much-respected international technology and services group,” said John Cockerill Defense CEO Thierry Renaudin.
“John Cockerill Defense is delighted to partner with Viettel and is confident that today’s agreement provides a robust foundation for future growth, to the benefit of both Vietnam and France,” added Renaudin. “Together, by combining our technological solutions, we will contribute to meeting Vietnam’s sovereignty needs.”
“Viettel High Tech is pursuing an ambitious development program in the Defense sector and partnership with John Cockerill Defense France forms a critical part of our long-term strategy,” said Viettel CEO Nguyễn Vũ Hà. “This cooperation builds on our strong foundation in core technologies, full product ownership, and the ability to tailor solutions to diverse operational needs in both domestic and international markets.”
The partnership clearly received considerable political support, having been formalised at the Embassy of France in Vietnam in the presence of French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Éric Lombard, and Vietnam Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng. (Source: AMR)
02 Jun 25. Philippines defense boss throws cold water on large F-16 buy from US. The Philippines’ defense secretary cast doubt on a $5.6bn purchase of American F-16 fighter jets approved in April, saying Manila hasn’t yet decided whether to move forward with the sale. Speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defense summit held in Singapore, Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines hadn’t yet received a formal offer to purchase the fourth-generation fighters. Even if it had, he said, his department doesn’t know whether it wants them.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing on the table for me to consider,” he said in an interview.
In April, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 20 F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as part of a package that also included missiles, bombs and other ammunition. The total was valued at just under $5.6bn, which would have commanded a massive share of the Philippines’ defense budget. Manila spends about $6bn, or 1.3% of its GDP, on its military each year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think tank. Teodoro referred to the purported sale as “media hype,” without explaining why the State Department initially approved it.
“We have not even decided, number one, when we will acquire a multi-role fighter and what model,” he said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Philippines in March as the U.S. upgrades its alliance with the country in an effort to better compete with China. The two met again over the weekend in Singapore, where Hegseth warned that the military threat Beijing poses “could be imminent” and urged allies to spend more on defense. To some Philippine officials, the sale of fighter jets was a sign of long-term U.S. commitment and a show of trust that their military could handle such advanced equipment. But soon after the announcement other officials from the country began to question how they could afford such a large purchase without American assistance. The U.S. sent the Philippines $500 m in long-term security aid last year but would need Congress to pass more in order to continue such support. During the Biden administration, the U.S. and Philippines agreed on a “roadmap” of weapons to purchase in the years ahead as Manila upgrades its military. That plan largely consists of equipment to help survey and protect the Philippines’ vast coastlines, not high-end fighter jets. At the conference here, Teodoro had a testy exchange with Chinese delegates in attendance, who asked critical questions about the Philippines’ alliance with the United States. Chinese coast guard vessels routinely harass Philippine ships in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its own despite a contrary ruling in 2016 from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“China has a lot of trust building to do to be an effective negotiating partner,” Teodoro said during remarks on stage. “We have to call a spade a spade.” (Source: Defense News)
01 Jun 25. U.S. President Trump promotes new F-47 sixth generation fighter jet to Japan. According to information published by The Asahi Shimbun, on May 27, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during which he personally promoted the F-47, Boeing’s newly announced sixth-generation fighter jet. The Asahi Shimbun, a leading national newspaper in Japan, reported that Trump emphasized the need to further reinforce military power to preserve peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister Ishiba agreed, supporting deeper defense cooperation between both nations. Trump introduced the F-47 as a platform symbolizing next-generation American air superiority, humorously noting that its designation “47” is a fortunate number that reflects his own position as the 47th president of the United States. The F-47 is the flagship of the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, designed to replace the F-22 Raptor and ensure U.S. dominance in future contested airspace. Developed by Boeing, the aircraft incorporates sixth-generation technologies, including full-spectrum stealth, adaptive cycle engines for extended range and performance, and artificial intelligence-driven mission systems. Its optionally manned design allows commanders to use the aircraft with or without a pilot, providing greater flexibility across strike, surveillance, and electronic warfare missions. The F-47 is also built with modular open architecture, enabling integration of emerging technologies and faster adaptation to new threats. It is expected to lead future combat formations and serve as the central command node for a network of autonomous drones and allied assets in joint operations. (Source: Google/armyrecognition.com)
30 May 25. Defence officials deny Japan has kicked up a storm over Tempest next-gen fighter. The GCAP project currently involves the UK, Italy and Japan, with several other nations interested in coming on board Japanese defence officials have denied reports that said Tokyo doubts its new next-gen fighter – known in the UK as the Tempest – will meet its expected rollout date of 2035. One source close to the project said the joint Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which was established in 2022, was falling behind schedule due to a lack of urgency from fellow partners Britain and Italy. They claimed this could push the stealth jet’s deployment beyond 2040, potentially forcing Tokyo to fill holes in its air defence capability either by buying more US F-35 Lightning IIs or upgrading its fleet of F-2 jets. If the claims prove accurate, Japan will need to begin planning soon if GCAP is delayed to ensure it has enough jets to counter Chinese and Russian aircraft that regularly probe its air defences. But a spokesperson for the Japanese defence ministry’s acquisition agency said the 2035 rollout target for the Tempest was unchanged. He also said the decommissioning of the ageing F-2 – a Japanese variant of the US F-16 Fighting Falcon – was set to begin that year, and he was unaware of any plans to place additional orders for the F-35. And a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the three countries remained focused on the project and were “making strong progress”. The Italian defence ministry did not reply to a request for comment. GCAP is an effort by Japan and its two European partners to build a next-generation fighter free from the operational restrictions that often come with purchases of US-made military equipment. For example, buyers are often not allowed to do upgrades and maintenance without US permission. The Tempest project is being led by BAE Systems in the UK, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan and Leonardo in Italy. In RAF and Italian service, the Tempest will replace the Typhoon jets that will be in operation until the 2040s, while in Japan, it is meant to replace the F-2. Another source said Japan’s concerns about a possible delay to Tempest’s 2035 rollout stemmed from how much time was being taken to align each country’s concept of how the aircraft will operate. (Source: https://www.forcesnews.com/)
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Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
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