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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
04 Sep 25. Rosyth could take nuclear subs under £340m upgrade plan. Rosyth Dockyard may play a central role in supporting an expanded nuclear submarine fleet under a £340m infrastructure programme, the UK Defence Journal understands. With up to 12 new attack submarines planned in addition to the four Dreadnought-class ballistic missile boats, current dockyard capacity is already under strain. In a written parliamentary response we reported earlier this week, Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle confirmed that “the cost of planned infrastructure upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard are £340 million. The cost includes the requirement to deliver a contingent docking facility for HMS Dreadnought during its sea trial period.” The contingent dock would provide a backup site outside the Clyde and Devonport, both of which already face pressure. Babcock executives suggested the investment could position Rosyth to host working submarines, not just dismantling.
David Lockwood OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Babcock, told me and other journalists at Rosyth today that the facility to dock and maintain submarines is being discussed with government: “The aim is to be able to start bringing nuclear submarines in here again, not to break them up, but working submarines. If you add submarine dismantling, carrier building, Type 31 work, and now the contingent dock, you can really see how this site could become quite a vibrant place.” He added that Babcock had already put “well into nine figures” of its own corporate investment into Rosyth over the past five years.
Sir Nick Hine KCB, Chief Executive, Marine at Babcock and a former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, also explained the rationale: “As part of the Dreadnought safety case for sailing from Barrow, they need to have access to a contingent docking facility that can take Dreadnought. She can’t go back into Barrow and she can’t get into Devonport, so she needs a contingency site. More broadly, if you’re going to have a larger fleet, when you’ve got 12 attack submarines not seven, two bases feels too exposed. Having a third base becomes part of the debate.” (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
04 Sep 25. Supporting success: over £4m awarded for the adoption of PYRAMID on avionics and mission systems. Funding has been awarded to 11 successful applicants of the first phase of the PYRAMID competition.
- Eleven innovative organisations have been awarded over £4 m in funding to help develop software systems that are PYRAMID compliant.
- The Phase 1 DASA PYRAMID for avionics and mission systems competition was run on behalf of the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO).
- This phase of the competition sought proposals to support the adoption of PYRAMID in current and upcoming systems.
PYRAMID is a UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) initiative to develop rapidly adaptable avionics and mission systems through a suite of reusable software components. These are designed to operate within a well-defined software Reference Architecture, enabled by systematic reuse processes and Model Based Systems Engineering. PYRAMID targets both future air systems and legacy systems to deliver operational advantage, and to reduce the time and cost in implementing through-life capability enhancements. The MOD has made a significant investment in this initiative, and is now working across national and international programmes, and industrial partners, to support adoption. This DASA competition forms a key aspect of this strategy.
Eleven companies, UK based and international, have won a share of over £4 m in the first phase of the PYRAMID for avionics and mission systems competition. The companies range from major aircraft developers to SMEs, with competition winners implementing PYRAMID into a variety of platforms including fixed wing, rotary wing, small uncrewed systems, and weapons.
The competition which was run on behalf of the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office, was intended to help companies re-engineer pre-existing software, and develop new software that is PYRAMID compliant, thereby unlocking the benefits of adopting the PYRAMID approach.
Mike Lane, PYRAMID Lead, RAF RCO Technology Office said: “It has been an absolute pleasure working with the DASA team on this competition. The outreach team have done a terrific job in soliciting interest from such a wide range of organisations, and the number of high-quality proposals received was a strong indication of their success. Widespread adoption is fundamental to the potential benefits of PYRAMID being realised, and this competition and the resulting contracts are a major step forward.”
The eleven successful organisations are listed below with their take on the project:
Raytheon Systems Limited
“With the PYRAMID Reference Architecture now released as a fully UK MOD-endorsed standard, the DASA-led PYRAMID competition significantly supports Raytheon UK in growing the capability to deploy and support PYRAMID for their next family of Air-Launched Effector Mission Systems. By integrating PYRAMID architecture concepts, these Mission Systems gain adaptability by embedding open architecture principles at their core, enhancing Raytheon UK’s capacity to deliver continuous upgrades and maintain an operational edge for our armed forces at the pace of relevance.”
Leonardo UK Ltd (Helicopters Division)
“Leonardo has been selected under a Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition to evaluate the adoption of the Pyramid Reference Architecture (PRA) into sensor software and rotorcraft mission architectures. Under this programme, the company will be focusing on how the PRA could be incorporated into its Osprey AESA radar and related mission systems for new and existing rotary-wing aircraft, considering different core mission architectures using a Pyramid approach.”
Frazer-Nash Consultancy
“Frazer-Nash will be developing and demonstrating key Swarming Uncrewed Air System (SwUAS) capabilities using the guidance provided in the PYRAMID Technical Standard. The team will be using an iterative systems-engineering design process to progressively develop the concept architecture in stages and ensure continuous PYRAMID compliance. They will utilise their deep simulation expertise to incorporate synthetic testing throughout. They see this as a fantastic opportunity to apply their complex systems know-how to support a step change in Air Mission Systems.”
SimCentric Technologies – Project RAPTOR
“SimCentric is leveraging the PYRAMID Reference Architecture to advance its autonomous drone capability, enabling coordinated swarms to conduct a wide range of complex tasks. The framework features a composable behaviour architecture, allowing flexible task definition and dynamic adaptation. It supports multiple levels of control—from individual drone autonomy to high-level swarm orchestration—and is designed to be hardware agnostic. This funding will significantly accelerate this capability development.”
SimCentric Technologies – Project AF-STOMP
“As part of the AF-STOMP project, SimCentric is applying the PYRAMID Reference Architecture to refactor and further componentise its world-leading Joint Fires and JTAC training software, SAF-FIRES™. Already trusted by the UK, Sweden, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the USMC, and other global militaries, this effort will enhance modularity, expandability, and integration potential of the technology. The funding will allow SimCentric to broaden SAF-FIRES’ applicability beyond training to include operational analysis and mission rehearsal.”
Espanaro Ltd
“Espanaro are undertaking realignment of some of their existing product lines to be PYRAMID compliant in areas of security service provision and management of autonomous systems. This presents the opportunity for them to offer their products into the air domain as services for integration into more complex integrated systems and enables them to join the PYRAMID ecosystem and share knowledge and experience with other partners.”
THURN Group Ltd.
“THURN Group Ltd is developing and demonstrating lightweight, modular UAV-based sensor systems. Their project focuses on PRA-compliant deployment of UAV sensor and communication components. With DASA support, they are building internal capability for implementing and testing real-world software components aligned to the PYRAMID Reference Architecture, and sharing lessons learned for SMEs. This work will contribute to shaping best practices for lightweight, scalable PRA compliance in autonomous sensing and modular avionics.”
BAE Systems (Operations) Limited
“BAE Systems Electronic Systems is developing a PYRAMID compliant High Integrity Energy Management System that can be deployed across multiple platforms and fuel types for future electric or hybrid propulsion systems. The PYRAMID Reference Architecture is key to MoD’s strategy to enable robust, re-usable modular architectures. The DASA funding will benefit the business significantly, enabling early adoption of the PYRAMID Reference Architecture and preparing the business for future PYRAMID compliant products.”
Archangel Autonomy Ltd
“Archangel Autonomy develops and deploys AI systems out beyond the edge of the network. The focus of this project is to develop the next generation architecture and system design of the Xnaut AI Co-Pilot, an applique module for UAS to enable operations in communications-denied and GNSS-denied environments. The intent is to further aid rapid integration with a diverse set of partner UAS fleets.”
Kearfott Corp
“Kearfott is proud to support the PYRAMID programme alongside leading system integrators and suppliers. By adapting their existing FACE architecture to PRA (PYRAMID Reference Architecture) and integrating into Kearfott’s NxNAV EGI (Embedded GPS/INS) system, they are demonstrating a robust, GPS-independent solution. This proof-of-concept highlights PRA’s viability as an open-architecture framework powered by Kearfott sensors and integration expertise.”
SAIF Systems Ltd
“Leveraging SAIF Autonomy’s expertise in Run-Time Assurance, the project addresses key safety challenges associated with deploying AI-driven autonomous platforms, via real-time monitoring and intervention capabilities that enforce safety constraints, detect potential unsafe behaviours before they happen, and take high integrity corrective actions. The project funding will enable SAIF Autonomy’s architecture to become PYRAMID compliant and significantly expand the MOD’s ability to rapidly integrate and deploy their technology across autonomous systems.”
We share our congratulations with the 11 successful teams for their winning submissions.
Learn more
Learn more about the PYRAMID for avionics and mission systems (Phase 1) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pyramid-future-proofing-air-systems
If you are interested in learning more about the next phase of this competition, please keep an eye on our website for the latest information. We advertise upcoming opportunities within our pipeline which you can access here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apply-for-funding#themed-competitions:~:text=Explorations%20currently%20open.-,Competitions%20in%20our%20pipeline,-Please%20note%20that
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 Sep 25. MOD sets out retirement and fleet numbers for Typhoon. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the withdrawal dates, scrapping figures and current numbers for the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fleet, following a series of written questions from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty. Defence Minister Maria Eagle provided the answers on 1 September. In response on retirement timelines, Eagle stated that “the planned out-of-service dates for the RAF’s fleet of Typhoon aircraft are given below: Tranche 1, 2027; Tranche 2, 2040; Tranche 3, 2040.” She added that “the RAF does not have any Typhoon Tranche 3A aircraft.” The answers also revealed the extent of disposals from the earliest generation of the fighter. Eagle confirmed that “26 of the 30 Tranche 1 Typhoon aircraft have been scrapped as of 1 July 2025; this equates to 87% of the Tranche 1 fleet.” The remaining Tranche 1 airframes will leave service within the next two years. Providing a snapshot of the operational fleet, Eagle set out that “the table below details the number of Typhoon aircraft currently in service with the Royal Air Force. Tranche 1 – 4; Tranche 2 – 67; Tranche 3 – 40. The Royal Air Force does not have any Tranche 3A Typhoon aircraft.” Taken together, the answers show that while the RAF’s Typhoon force still totals more than 110 aircraft, its operational strength is now concentrated in the newer tranches. The four surviving Tranche 1s are due to be retired by 2027, while Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 fleets are planned to remain in service until 2040. The written responses underline the government’s gradual transition away from the oldest Typhoons while sustaining the newer aircraft through upgrades. The Ministry of Defence has previously said that the Eurofighter programme partners are committed to ensuring the Typhoon remains competitive, including the integration of the European Common Radar Standard 2 radar, which will extend the aircraft’s relevance into the coming decades. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
EUROPE
04 Sep 25. UK in talks to build Danish and Swedish warships. Denmark and Sweden are in “advanced talks” with the UK over potentially acquiring Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates for their respective navies, the Financial Times reported. Denmark is reportedly looking to acquire an initial lot of three vessels before seeking to continue production domestically. Meanwhile, Sweden is said to be considering purchasing four. Babcock International – the prime contractor on the Type 31 programme – is also in talks with Sweden’s Saab to jointly produce Luleå-class corvettes in Rosyth, Scotland.
02 Sep 25. Polish fighter buy on hold for planning doc, but F-35 order won’t be cut: General. Poland continues to prioritize the acquisition of “more fighters in a short future” but any movement on procuring 32 new fighter jets is on hold until a new, long-term capability plan has been approved, Maj. Gen. Cezary Wisniewski, deputy general commander of the Polish Armed Forces told Breaking Defense today. The good news for industry waiting word on Poland’s plans: That 15-year planning document is due to be sorted out in “a matter of months,” Wisniewski said on the sidelines of the MSPO trade show today, but that means the timeline remains uncertain for when a selection, let alone a contract award, might actually come.
“My gut feeling — more than gut feeling — is that there will be resources allocated for new fighters and the CCA [Collaborative Combat Aircraft program] in the next 15 years [capability planning] cycle,” Wisniewski said. But if that buy of more combat jets “happens a year from now, five years from now, or ten years from now, I cannot say.”
“I would say that because we’re working on a new [long term, capability] plan, some of the procedures [have] slowed down right now, [we are] just waiting for the new approval,” shared Wisniewski. “I believe that when you get the new plan, this is like a 15 year cycle plan….we can move forward,” with acquiring additional fighter jets.
The procurement process is “probably [a] longer process than we thought, like two years ago.”
Warsaw has held interest in the purchase of 32 additional fighter jets for several years as part of an air dominance requirement, and a Boeing representative even went so far as to say at the last edition of MSPO that “we are targeting late 2024 or [early] 2025,” for a selection decision to be made, as the US firm continues to offer the F-15EX Eagle II fourth-generation jet. In addition to the F-15EX, Warsaw is also considering the Eurofighter Typhoon, and has not ruled out additional Lockheed Martin F-35A fifth generation combat aircraft, on top of 32 units already on order. Despite Switzerland recently communicating that it will reassess how many of the stealth planes it plans to buy, after failing to resolve a pricing dispute with the manufacturer, Wisniewski stressed that Warsaw does not plan on taking similar action.
“We are committed to the old contract, which was signed up during the previous government, and the current one” has also kept to the $4.6 bn order, originally agreed in 2020.
“F-35 is a very crucial platform for the Polish air power projection concept. I don’t see any issues with that” contract going forward, added Wisniewski.
Poland is set to receive a first F-35 in country next year, with four aircraft currently in the US, said Wisniewski. Notably, he also said that the Polish Air Force is “watching very carefully what the US Air Force is doing right now” in relation to CCA developments. “My point about the loyal wingman is that the Polish Air Force wants to be a part of this solution. We see this as very important especially [because] we see in Europe less and less combat fighters” operating.
He said that at the direction of former USAF secretary Frank Kendall, the “door for international cooperation in the CCA” was opened, including a “great chunk of the information necessary to build up the picture about how the US Air Force is moving forward with these capabilities.”
Wisniewski noted, “We know that the first flight just happened with… the sample of the new technology, [with] General Atomics and Anduril companies working on that. So we [are] just trying to figure out how the US Air Force is going to move forward, especially I believe that the F-35 is a perfect platform to carry….this unmanned, teaming type of capabilities.”
Looking at other potential acquisitions, he said that the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft is included “in our planning. But you know, based on the nature of this [new] plan” having still to be approved, “I just cannot share” any details. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
USA
03 Sep 25. The National Security Engineering Center (NSEC), a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) operated by MITRE, unveiled the Transition Maturity Framework (TMaF) today. TMaF is a comprehensive defense acquisition framework developed to streamline the transition of innovative technologies from research labs to active deployment with U.S. warfighters. The framework addresses persistent challenges by providing a structured acquisition approach that includes streamlined methodologies, advanced data-driven decision-making tools, and collaborative processes.
“TMaF puts the power of DOD, its people and its processes, not only on the same page, but the right page. The result is next generation technology getting into the hands of the warfighter.” – RuthAnne Darling, director, OE-I
Developed in collaboration with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Operational Energy – Innovation Directorate (OE-I), TMaF aims to accelerate and de-risk technology adoption, bridging the notorious “valley of death” that too often stymies military modernization.
“To maintain U.S. military superiority in an increasingly dynamic global environment, the Department of Defense invests bns annually in research, development, test, and evaluation. However, the path to making those investments operationally impactful often encounters significant barriers,” said Keoki Jackson, senior vice president, MITRE National Security. “As a trusted catalyst for markets and ecosystems, MITRE leverages our zero-stake neutrality to bring stakeholders together in pre-competitive environments that accelerate innovations ensuring they reach the warfighters who depend on advanced technologies to accomplish their missions.”
The “valley of death” refers to the gap between the development of a promising technology and its transition into fielded use. Factors such as risk, complexity, and process inefficiencies can lead to delays or prevent technologies from reaching the forces who need them most. TMaF reduces risks, accelerates timelines, and ensures critical technologies are ready for operational use.
“TMaF puts the power of DOD, its people and its processes, not only on the same page, but the right page and allows everyone to coordinate and move projects forward successfully. The result is next generation technology getting into the hands of warfighters quickly,” said RuthAnne Darling, director, OE-I. “Instead of a silo-ed and serial approach from technology development to acquisition, technology innovation, acquisition program managers, requirements professionals, and warfighters – all can track both individual and mutual progress. TMaF clarifies and simplifies the processes and moves everyone collaboratively toward the common objective – state-of-the-art, fielded technology that assists the warfighter in achieving deterrence and battlefield overmatch.”
OE-I has adopted TMaF as a core component of its program management and reporting processes. OE-I’s use of TMaF brings industry in at the earliest stages of development, enabling direct feedback from warfighters and ensuring that solutions are not only innovative but also deployable and impactful in the field. TMaF enables proposers to conduct and certify self-assessments, providing a clear roadmap for technology transition. OE-I leadership leverages TMaF’s data insights to make informed investment decisions, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with warfighter needs.
By standardizing and simplifying the technology transition process, TMaF ensures that next-generation innovations reach warfighters faster, enhancing their ability to achieve mission success and maintain battlefield superiority. TMaF also supports OE-I’s congressional reporting and portfolio management through the Operational Energy Management and Innovation (OMNI) tool, ensuring transparency and accountability across all operational energy investments. The OMNI data collection also will help track the impact of TMaF.
As part of MITRE’s AiDA (Acquisition in the Digital Age) platform, TMaF exemplifies how tailored acquisition models and digitized resources can modernize federal acquisition processes. Together, AiDA and TMaF empower agencies to overcome bureaucratic delays and bridge the critical gap between technology development and operational deployment.
NSEC will continue to enhance TMaF by expanding its applicability to software-intensive capabilities and is working with OE-I to drive awareness and adoption across the DoD. AiDA and TMaF reflect MITRE’s commitment to advancing national security by solving some of the toughest challenges in technology integration and deployment and delivering innovative, actionable solutions for America’s national security priorities.
To learn more about TMaF, visit https://aida.mitre.org/tmaf/ or contact . To learn more about MITRE’s overall efforts to reshape defense acquisition and deliver mission-critical capabilities at speed and scale, visit https://www.mitre.org/breaking-barriers. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
29 Aug 25. Cuashub.com said today that DHS plans $100m counter-drone contract. The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to award a contract worth up to $100 m to acquire counter-UAS systems. In a notice published in the Acquisition Planning Forecast System, DHS said it is seeking contractors to deliver technologies capable of detecting, tracking, identifying and mitigating drone threats. The department noted the capabilities must be adaptable to a wide range of operational environments, reflecting the growing challenge posed by unauthorized or malicious UAS. The planned indefinite-delivery contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 and run through September 30, 2030. Work will take place in Washington, D.C. The DHS has been active in assessing counter-UAS solutions in recent months, with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem assessing several vendor systems at a recent DHS demonstration. Evaluated systems included those from DroneShield and Pierce Aerospace. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate also held a week-long series of counter-UAS testing back in March, featuring representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Protective Service and local Washington, D.C. agencies. The contract will provide DHS with a framework to procure systems over several years as requirements evolve, ensuring that deployed solutions remain aligned with operational needs and emerging threats. https://cuashub.com/en/content/dhs-plans-100-m-counter-drone-contract/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
REST OF THE WORLD
04 Sep 25. Brazilian Navy seeks logistics support ships. The Brazilian Navy is looking to acquire a fleet of logistics support ships, the Director of the Directorate of Navy Programs Management, Vice Admiral Marcelo da Silva Gomes, told Janes in late August. The so-called Navio de Apoio Logístico (NApLog) project is run by the General Directorate of Navy Materiel as part of the ‘Modernization of Naval Power Strategic Program’, and in line with the Navy Strategic Plan 2040. The NApLog effort seeks the potential acquisition of two ships by 2033, worth a total of BRL1.2bn (USD219.8m) for Surface Force Command, Vice Adm Silva Gomes said. The first ship is scheduled to be procured between 2026 and 2027, worth BRL600m, and a second ship is planned to be ordered between 2028 and 2033, worth another BRL600m, Vice Adm Silva Gomes detailed. Brazil intends to acquire a ship with a crew complement of 130, an endurance of 35 days, a range of 12,000 n miles at a cruise speed of 14 kt, a maximum speed of 20 kt, and a draught of 7.6 m. The ship must be capable of lifting 300 m³ of JP-5 military jet fuel, 12,000 m³ of marine diesel oil or F-46 military fuel, 2,700 litre of fresh water, and four containers. NApLog will be capable of supporting disaster relief, search-and-rescue (SAR), and humanitarian aid operations, providing medical support, as well as transporting vehicles, maritime and aviation fuel, fresh water, ammunition, lubricating oil, food, spare parts, and containers. A landing platform for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as a hangar, will enable the ship to carry out aviation operations. (Source: Janes)
02 Sep 25. India-Russia: Possible sale of Russian military equipment underscores maintenance of defence ties. On 2 September, reports citing a senior Russian defence export official stated that Moscow and New Delhi are negotiating increased deliveries of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India. India signed a USD 5.5bn deal with Russia in 2018 to purchase five S-400 Triumf systems; despite multiple delays, India is expected to receive units of the final systems in 2026 and 2027. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for 36% of India’s arms imports from 2020 to 2024. The reports follow Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that India and Russia stood side by side even in difficult times on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stated that Moscow ‘appreciated’ New Delhi not bowing down to US demands to stop purchasing resources from Russia. Tensions between India and the US are elevated, amid Washington DC’s increasing criticism of New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil and supporting Russia’s ‘war machine’ (see Sibylline Situation Update Brief – 18 August 2025). We assess that the negotiations, which underscore the maintenance of defence ties, will likely further strengthen bilateral ties between India and Russia, with a realistic possibility of further criticism of New Delhi by Washington DC. (Source: Sibylline)
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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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