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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
12 Nov 25. UK’s Fleet Solid Support ships will begin production.
After the completion of the critical design review, manufacturing will begin in Belfast for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary FSS ships.
- UK’s Fleet Solid Support programme will begin construction
- The first of the three logistics ships will be built in Belfast and Cadiz
- The FSS vessel will be the second largest in the fleet, after the aircraft carriers
The UK’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme will now begin production after completing the critical design review stage, covering the overall structural integrity, safety, and risk minimisation. FSS will provide three support ships built to deliver munitions, supplies and provisions to the Royal Navy while at sea. Overlooked by more lethal programmes, such as the £1bn Digital Targeting Web, the logistics arm of Britain’s naval force offers a much-needed crutch for global reach. The UK’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, recently returned to the Mediterranean after leading a carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific in the last five months which was largely bolstered by allied vessels – double the number featured in the 2021 mission. It does not help that the Ministry of Defence were forced to axe several ships late last year, forcing the the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) to repurpose its Bay-class landing ships for combat.
FSS programme
Each FSS vessel can reach speeds of 19 knots, they are 216 metres long (the length of two football pitches), with a displacement of 39,000 tonnes. They will be the largest UK military ships with the exception of aircraft carriers. The fleet will be inducted into the RFA, run by a crew of 101 people per ship, and accommodation provided for an additional 80 personnel operating helicopters, boats, or performing other roles when required. Manufacturing of the first FSS will now begin across different shipyards – Navantia in Cadiz, Spain and by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland – and all three ships will enter service after final equipment fits and military trials by 2032. BMT produced the FSS design, which is intended to be adaptable from the outset to achieve a carbon zero status by the end of their 30-year operational lifespan. In the meantime, FSS’s predecessor, RFA Fort Victoria, will continue operations to maintain some semblance of an operational solid support ship availability during the transition. (Source: naval-technology.com)
11 Nov 25. UK rejects EU demand for £5bn to join key defence fund. Snub means British defence firms could miss out on lucrative contracts. Britain has rejected a €6bn (£5.28bn) demand from the European Union to join the bloc’s €150bn rearmament scheme. The Telegraph understands that UK officials have warned that Brussels risks endangering efforts to deter Russian aggression by limiting British involvement in the programme. However, the snub means British defence firms could miss out on lucrative contracts being funded through the programme’s first round of loans. The European Commission’s €150bn loan scheme, known as Security Action For Europe (Safe), will fund purchases of weapons, such as long-range missiles and air-defence systems for participating members. Under the deal, 65 per cent of the end cost of the weapons must have been made by firms inside the EU. In exchange for up to €6bn and a smaller €150m administration fee, Brussels had offered Britain the opportunity to unlock greater access for its defence firms. By agreeing to the offer, it would have allowed British subcontractors to provide up to 50 per cent of the value of any contracts funded by the loan schemes.
Britain holding out for a better deal
But the demand was not deemed “fair or balanced” by British negotiators. A Government spokesman said: “The UK is committed to a broad and constructive relationship with the EU and we are working together to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit.
“We will only agree deals that provide value to the UK and UK industry. Nothing has been agreed, and we will not give a running commentary on talks.”
In the coming weeks, ministers and officials will try to drive the price down, until they reach a compromise. It is understood that British negotiators have argued it is in the interest of the EU’s long-term security to capitalise on British expertise in the defence industry and not break up the long-running partnerships. Because of the deep integration between Britain and the EU’s defence industries, UK firms will continue to benefit from Safe regardless of a deal, officials have warned Brussels. Norway and Ukraine are the only non-EU countries permitted unfettered access to the bloc’s scheme. France has been lobbying to limit any international involvement as it attempts to drive through plans to make the bloc less reliant on international partners, mainly the United States. The European Commission has approved plans to negotiate membership deals with the UK and Canada. South Korea and Turkey have also signalled a willingness to gain access to the scheme if it is further enlarged. Access to Safe was sold as a major victory from Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit “reset” deal with Brussels, which gave away fishing rights to EU boats in British waters for 12 years. Failure to secure a deal to join the defence loans scheme will probably pile pressure on the Prime Minister to demonstrate what the UK has gained from his EU pact. Many of the wins championed by the Labour Government are yet to be agreed, such as a deal to ease checks on food exports to the bloc. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
09 Nov 25. UK and Norway deepen naval ties on carrier mission. Six months of combined operations aboard HMS Prince of Wales have strengthened cooperation between British and Norwegian naval forces, the Royal Navy have stated. The Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen has spent the past half-year as a key element of the UK Carrier Strike Group during Operation Highmast, providing protection for the Royal Navy’s flagship as the force deployed through the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indo-Pacific. Throughout the deployment, the Amundsen has embarked a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, along with its flight crew and engineers from RNAS Yeovilton. The team has operated as part of the Norwegian ship’s company, supporting missions across several regions, including Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
Commander Senior Grade Stian Schnelle, commanding officer of Roald Amundsen, described the experience as a successful demonstration of Anglo-Norwegian naval integration. “Working with the crew from the 815 Squadron has so far been a real pleasure, and is truly a proof of concept for Norwegian-UK cooperation,” he said. “They are true professionals and make a decisive contribution to make HNoMS Roald Amundsen a credible and effective contribution to the Carrier Strike Group and our mission.”
He added that the partnership had built momentum toward the future Type 26 frigate era, when both navies will operate UK-built warships in the North Atlantic. Oslo has ordered five of the same class, intended to patrol alongside Royal Navy vessels and allied P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.
UK Carrier Strike Group Commander Commodore James Blackmore said the collaboration had been “seamless”. “Their professionalism, skill and commitment to collective defence make them an integral part of the team,” he stated. “The integration of our Norwegian partners not only strengthens the group operationally but also demonstrates our collective resolve to uphold the security and stability of the North Atlantic as allies.”
The Royal Navy said recent years have seen closer cooperation with Norway across multiple domains, from Royal Marines’ annual Arctic training to joint operations involving patrol boats, Wildcats, and the testing of the Naval Strike Missile.
Commander Hjalmar Rasmussen, Amundsen’s executive officer, noted in the news release that the British helicopter team had been fully absorbed into life aboard. “The helicopter crew has grown to be part of the crew and fully included in everything on board,” he said. “There are surprisingly few cultural differences, and we really appreciate benefiting from their viewpoints on how to run a naval vessel and crew.” (Source: UKDJ)
07 Nov 25. Royal Navy upgrades to boost warship lethality. The Ministry of Defence has outlined ongoing work to enhance the firepower of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet as part of a broad modernisation drive. In response to a written question from Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the Navy is “undertaking a significant programme to modernise and increase the lethality of the Fleet.” He noted that “the introduction of Sea Venom and the Naval Strike Missile are key aspects of this programme, which will be followed by further capability upgrades over the next few years.” According to the Ministry of Defence, these efforts form part of a wider strategy to ensure the Royal Navy retains the ability to counter evolving maritime threats through next-generation precision weapons and system upgrades. The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) recently achieved its first successful live firing during Exercise Aegir 25 in Norway’s Arctic region, where HMS Somerset launched the weapon alongside Norwegian and Polish allies. The test marked what the Royal Navy described as a major milestone in strengthening its strike capability, demonstrating the deep cooperation between the UK and Norway in maritime defence. Pollard said at the time that “the NSM is one of the most advanced missiles in our naval arsenal” and that its introduction “will give the Royal Navy and our allies an edge against our enemies.” The missile can engage both sea and land targets at ranges beyond 100 miles and is being integrated across the Type 23 and Type 45 fleets. (Source: UKDJ)
EUROPE
12 Nov 25. France, Germany, Spain to resume delayed fighter talks, sources say. France, Germany and Spain are set to resume high-level talks on the next phase of a major fighter project after delays caused by the recent political crisis in France, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. A ministerial meeting is planned for the week of November 24 as the three nations try to bridge differences over the next phase of the Future Combat Air System, which calls for a flying demonstrator model, two of the people said. A third source said a meeting was planned but that its date had not yet been announced.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is separately due to meet his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, in Paris next Monday, two of the sources said.
No comment was immediately available from the three defence ministries involved in the 100-bn-euro project to develop a system of crewed stealth fighters and packs of armed drones.
Pistorius told reporters last week that no new date for a trilateral ministerial meeting had been set, but he reiterated Germany’s call for a decision on the next phase by end-year.
Berlin has blamed French industry for blocking the programme’s next phase by demanding sole leadership of the project, in a coded reference to Dassault Aviation. Dassault, which handles France’s industrial participation in the project while Airbus (AIR.PA) represents Germany and Spain, has denied reports that it wants to control 80% of the project.
Pistorius said last week that he had discussed the topic with France’s Vautrin, who had stated her intention to continue with the project, which is widely known as FCAS, or its French acronym, SCAF. Speaking ahead of a recent meeting with Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Vautrin said there was urgency to move ahead because France’s current Rafale warplanes would need to be replaced by 2040. (Source: Reuters)
12 Nov 25. Germany to spend €26.5bn on clothes for soldiers, armoured vehicles. Germany plans to allocate nearly 19bn euros ($22.16bn) to kit out soldiers with new clothes and personal equipment in the coming years, in addition to 7.5 bn for new wheeled armoured vehicles, said a finance ministry document. The government justifies the troop apparel project known as FASER – with expenditures spread out until 2034 – with its ambitious recruitment goal of 460,000 soldiers by the mid-2030s, from the around 280,000 who now make up the Bundeswehr. According to the ministry’s budget documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday, Germany will also authorise some 7.5bn euros through 2037 for the procurement of new wheeled armoured vehicles. That will likely involve the purchase of between 3,000 and 5,000 Boxer vehicles manufactured jointly between Germany’s Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE), and Franco-German defence company KNDS, according to parliamentary sources. Germany has been on a defence buying spree after Chancellor Friedrich Merz secured the backing needed to exempt such spending from debt limits and build up its underequipped army in a bid to take greater responsibility for European security. (Source: Reuters)
07 Nov 25. French air force official says FCAS industry kerfuffle is overblown. Reports of infighting between partners on the French-German-Spanish FCAS fighter program have been exaggerated and the platform will see the light of day with all members on board, a leading French air force official has said.
“There are differences but don’t believe all you are reading,” said Brig. Gen. Phillipe Suhr, the French Air Force point man for the program.
“We are still fully committed to this program with our partners and we will do our best to find a solution to move forward because we have to.
It is important to deliver in the 2040s,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the International Fighter conference in Rome.
Launched by France and Germany in 2017, with Spain subsequently signing up, the FCAS 6th-generation fighter is needed to replace France’s Rafales and Germany’s Eurofighters by 2040. But Germany and France have squabbled over control of the project, with French prime contractor Dassault pushing for a bigger stake. Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, which will contribute to Germany’s workshare, last month said Dassault should pull out if it was unsatisfied with its share.
“So if they’re not happy with what was decided and they don’t agree to continue in this setup, they are free to decide to move out of FCAS,” he said.
Suhr sought to play down the ruckus and said Dassault’s ambitions were more contained than reported. “When you read Dassault wants 80 percent, it is not reality,” he said.
As the continental FCAS program stalls, the parallel sixth generation GCAP fighter being developed by Italy, the UK and Japan appears to be making progress after the establishment of three industrial consortia to handle the work this autumn.
In a conference call with analysts on Wednesday, Italy’s lead contractor Leonardo said it will have booked over €1 bn in national contracts on the fighter program by December.
“Our competitors are slowing down,” CEO Roberto Cingolani told analysts.
Addressing the Rome International Fighter conference, one Italian military official provided insight on how Rome views GCAP as a chance to balance building sovereign technologies as well as sharing them with its U.K. and Japanese partners.
Col. Antonio Vivolo, the GCAP senior technical representative at the Italian defense ministry armaments office said that if nations were to keep abreast of fast changing, crucial technologies they needed a degree of national autonomy, even in partnerships like GCAP.
“The goal is not only to obtain a new fighter, the goal is to obtain and keep technological and industrial sovereignty so that when scenarios, threats and partners changes we can reconfigure our capability without renegotiating our freedom of action with a third party,” he said in his speech, which he cleared for publication.
“Without this depth of sovereignty, sixth-generation would remain a beautiful concept governed by someone else, and this was not an option,” he said.
At the same, he added, “By arriving at the table with a clear ability-based requirement set … We make ourselves a reliable, predictable and useful partner.” (Source: Defense News)
USA
13 Nov 25. USAF’s New Low-Cost Anti-Air Missile Program Aims for $500K Target Price. The U.S. Air Force has put out a new call for concepts for a future anti-air missile that costs no more than $500,000 and that could be built at a rate of at least 1,000 per year. The service says the planned Counter-Air Missile Program (CAMP) will build upon frameworks it has been using to develop cheaper cruise missiles for striking targets on land and at sea. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Armament Directorate recently released a contracting notice regarding CAMP. The directorate has stressed that it is still in the very early stages of laying out the effort. However, “the United States Government has identified a need … for the development, procurement, and integration of a low-cost counter-air capability as a future class of the Affordable Mass Munitions portfolio,” according to the notice. “It is the Government’s expectation that the initial CAMP system will provide a ground-launched capability that is a viable pathway to a low-cost air-to-air missile.”
“Low-cost” here is defined as less than $500,000 per unit for a production run of at least 1,000 complete missiles. The target annual production rate is between 1,000 and 3,500 of the CAMP munitions.
“The highest priority of this effort is the development and demonstration of an affordable, open system, modular, and highly producible ground-launched capability. Ground-launch efforts will serve as a risk reduction effort expediting missile design maturation and evaluation for future affordable air-to-air missile capabilities,” the contracting notice adds. “A ground-launch system will also serve as a new weapon class of Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV), providing a lower cost, rapid capability to integrate and demonstrate future sub-systems and components in a relevant environment prior to integration into a Program of Record weapon.” In June 2024, the Air Force and the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced they had hired four companies – Zone 5 Technologies, Anduril, Leidos subsidiary Dynetics, and Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc. – to design and deliver prototype ETVs. Ostensibly low-cost cruise missiles, the designs in question skirt an increasingly blurry line separating traditional cruise missiles from uncrewed aerial systems, especially longer-range kamikaze drones, as well as decoys. (Source: UAS VISION/The War Zone)
REST OF THE WORLD
12 Nov 25. Hanwha Ocean/Canada’s PCL Construction MoU will advance CPSP. If contracted in 2026, Hanwha Ocean will deliver four KSS-III submarines to replace the Victoria-class fleet by 2035. South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Canada’s PCL Construction to advance infrastructure development for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III submarine and Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems from Germany were two of the qualified suppliers selected by the Canadian government for the CPSP. The project, announced in July 2024, aims to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with up to 12 new submarines to enhance maritime security and operational capabilities along Canada’s coastlines. Hanwha Ocean aims to deliver four of its KSS-III submarines to Canada before 2035 if awarded a contract in 2026, according to a 10 November 2025 statement from PCL. This would allow for replacement of the existing Victoria-class fleet within that timeframe, with a projection that earlier retirement of the submarines could result in estimated maintenance and support cost savings of C$1bn ($714m). After delivery of the initial four submarines, Hanwha Ocean plans to supply the remaining eight vessels at a rate of one per year, targeting full fleet delivery by 2043. PCL has asserted that no alternative supplier currently offers a comparable delivery timeline. PCL Construction Canadian operations chief operating officer Mike Wieninger stated: “PCL Construction is proud to join Hanwha Ocean’s Team to collaborate on the planning and construction of infrastructure for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.
“Our company has significant experience partnering with the government of Canada, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces on projects across Canada. We believe PCL’s expertise and collaborative approach will be a great asset to Hanwha Ocean’s proposal for this critical project.”
Hanwha Ocean has signed teaming agreements and MoUs with more than 12 Canadian companies since 2023 for long-term cooperation on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. The company also signed contracts with Canadian companies Modest Tree and Hepburn Engineering. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
07 Nov 25. SA defence firms urge SANDF to embrace public-private partnerships. The Global Industrial Cooperation Association (GICA) 2025 Conference, held in Cape Town from 14 to 16 October, placed the spotlight on public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a viable tool for revitalising South Africa’s defence sector. Presenting on behalf of the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD), Dr Mthobisi Zondi, CEO of Sandock Austral Defence, outlined a framework to operationalise the new PPP regulations within the Department of Defence (DoD). His presentation drew on lessons learned from past initiatives and international best practice.
“Between 2005 and 2015, the Department of Defence attempted eight PPP projects,” said Zondi. “All of them focused on buildings, not on equipment or capability, and none progressed beyond feasibility stage. Affordability was the main stumbling block.”
Zondi highlighted that while the DoD controls some 9.2 m m² of buildings and 480,000 hectares of land, “buildings are not necessarily a priority when it comes to mission readiness – the availability of equipment and prime mission equipment (PME) is.”
He noted that South Africa’s previous PPP efforts in defence were hindered by complexity, long contracting periods, high unitary fees and leadership turnover.
“Feasibility studies sometimes took nine years,” he explained. “By the time they were completed, priorities and leadership had changed.”
Zondi emphasised that the new PPP regulations, gazetted earlier this year, create opportunities for the defence sector to pursue smaller, performance-based projects aligned with operational needs.
“The amendments empower the Department of Defence to establish its own PPP Directorate, something that did not exist before,” he said. “Projects under R2 bn no longer need full Treasury approvals 2A and 2B, which can save up to a year in process time.”
Industry-driven Unsolicited Proposals (USPs) are also now possible, enabling companies to pitch directly to defence clients.
“As industry, this is a game changer,” Zondi said. “We can go to the Chief of the Army with a concrete proposal to improve the availability of logistic support vehicles, and he must consider it through an objective framework.”
Central to Zondi’s proposal is the adoption of Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) models, widely used in international defence environments, such as Contracting for Availability (CfA) and Contracting for Capability (CfC).
“Performance-based contracts focus on outcomes, not processes,” he explained. “Instead of telling a contractor how to maintain equipment, you specify the result, for example, that a ship must be available whenever needed, in the required state, and for the required duration. The contractor is then incentivised to achieve that availability.”
CfA contracts, Zondi said, are already used effectively by the UK Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces, allowing militaries to sustain capabilities at agreed levels of readiness while encouraging efficiency and innovation.
“In the UK, for example, the Royal School of Military Engineering is run under such a model,” Zondi added. “The private partner delivers an end-to-end training solution, from classroom to practical application, while the Army focuses on outcomes.”
Under the new framework, Zondi proposed that the DoD standardise feasibility templates and establish a defence-specific PPP framework covering categories such as training, PME supply and upkeep, facilities, and simulation.
He stressed the importance of robust risk management and shared accountability.
“Risk must be allocated at the start of a project to the party best able to manage it,” Zondi said. “Misallocation of risk was one of the main reasons our earlier projects failed.”
The benefits of adopting PPPs in defence, he concluded, include reduced capital expenditure, improved operational readiness, enhanced access to commercial technology, and the ability to leverage underutilised assets for revenue generation.
“The PPP framework gives us an opportunity to align public needs with private innovation,” Zondi said. “The aim is not to outsource defence, it’s to make it more effective, more responsive, and more sustainable.”
Arising from the Public-Private Partnerships for Defence and Security Conference Hosted by DefenceWeb and AMD in March this year, the South African defence industry is showing renewed interest, waiting to see if the Department of Defence can seize the opportunity to transform intent into implementation.
“There’s definitely appetite,” Zondi affirmed. “Industry is ready, now we need the Department to fast-track its internal processes so we can start delivering.” (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
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