LOCATIONS
MARITIME
07 Nov 25. PLA Navy commission Fujian, China’s first carrier with EMALS catapults. China’s president, Xi Jinping, attended the ceremony to mark the pace of the country’s naval modernisation effort. PLA Navy Fujian aircraft carrier, China’s third carrier, but first to have an EMALS catapult, during its maiden sea trial last year. Credit: China Ministry of National Defense. In Hainan province, South China, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its Fujian aircraft carrier on 5 November, the third vessel in the Type-003 class, but the first to integrate electromagnetic air launch system (EMALS) catapults. President Xi Jinping, China’s political and military leader, boarded the carrier, now in active service for the first time, to inspect the vessel after the commissioning ceremony. Fujian was launched in June 2022 and completed its maiden sea trial in May 2024. Final “experimental tests” were undertaken in September 2025 with the aim of assessing the performance of new and unspecified system upgrades, at which point the ~800,000 tonne warship passed through the contested Taiwan Strait. In particular, on 22 September, the PLAN announced that the carrier is capable of launching and recovering three navalised aircraft types, namely the fourth and fifth generation J-15T and J-35 fighter jets as well as the KongJing-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft. China is now the second nation, after the US’s Gerald R. Ford Class carriers, to integrate an EMALS catapult and recovery system. EMALS uses a linear motion motor powered by electricity to accelerate aircraft. This contrasts with steam-powered launch systems, for example, which requires a large steam boiler. Meanwhile, in April, the PLAN particpated in a multi-domain encirclement and blockade of Taiwan, the self-governed democracy 100 miles off its coast. While the Fujian was conducting tests separately at the time, the service deployed the Shandong, a Type-002 aircraft carrier commissioned in 2019 and is China’s first domestically built carrier. In July 2025, Chinese state media reported that the Shandong can manage nearly 10,000 sorties of various types of aircraft over five years. However; the report suggested that it can handle more than 50 per day. Meanwhile, the US Navy’s Nimitz Class carriers (a steam-powered catapult system) are said to conduct 120 sorties per day in sustained operations. On the other hand, the Shandong utilises a ski-jump launch system which, it should be noted, limits the fuel and weapons load of the launched aircraft, thus reducing the combat effect and range of Type-002 operations. (Source: naval-technology.com)
PLANT CLOSURES, STRIKES AND JOB LOSSES
11 Nov 25. Strikes at Leonardo to go ahead. Workers at one of the world’s biggest defence firms have decided to go ahead with their strike action. About 3,000 employees at Leonardo, which runs the UK’s only helicopter factory in Yeovil, Somerset, will strike from 12 November after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer. Members of the Unite union have demanded the company makes a “further revised offer that is acceptable to staff in the midst of the current cost-of-living crisis”. A spokesperson from Leonardo said they were “disappointed” but would “welcome Unite back to the negotiating table in a bid to reach a resolution”. In a statement, Unite says members are “furious” after rejecting an initial pay offer of a 3.2% rise followed by a further offer of 3.6% from the employer. They said both offers were below the RPI rate of inflation of 4.5% representing a real-terms pay cut for workers. (Source: BBC)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
10 Nov 25. New data from the Ministry of Defence confirms that the British Army is still training far fewer recruits than before the pandemic, with completion rates for Phase 2 training remaining well below pre-2020 levels. The figures, released in response to a written parliamentary question from Will Stone MP and published on 10 November, show that total intake across all training establishments fell from 8,956 recruits in 2019/20 to 5,560 in 2022/23, a drop of roughly 38 percent. Over the same period, the proportion of recruits who fail to reach Phase 2 has risen from about one in four to nearly one in three (around 31–32 percent). The Ministry of Defence said the data reflects the status of recruits as of 1 July 2025 and includes those who may still be completing training. However, the two-year window for the 2022/23 cohort suggests most outcomes are now settled. The figures show that the disruption of 2020–21 has given way to a broader structural decline. Army intake remains roughly 40 percent below its 2019–20 peak, and attrition through training has stabilised near 31 percent, compared with around 25 percent before COVID-19. The data suggests that the service is training fewer recruits and losing a greater share of them before they complete Phase 2. Junior entry routes, such as the Army Foundation College Harrogate, have proved the most resilient, while Infantry entry at Catterick continues to record the lowest completion rates. Overall, the post-pandemic recovery has not restored the training and recruitment pipeline to its previous strength. The figures point to an enduring shortfall in both recruitment and retention within the Regular Army’s training system.
Wider picture
Across the Armed Forces, recruitment pressures have persisted for several years. Parliamentary data published in November 2024 showed that every service fell short of its recruitment targets between 2019 and 2024, with 2023–24 marking the steepest gap. The Royal Navy achieved around 60 percent of its target, the Army about 63 percent, and the RAF roughly 70 percent. Each branch faced distinct challenges: the Navy cited personnel turnover and retention issues, the Army was still restructuring under the Future Soldier plan, and the RAF struggled with economic factors and reduced applicant pools. In response, ministers pledged a renewed focus on recruitment and readiness, with reforms to streamline entry processes and modernise force structures. The Ministry of Defence has since said these measures will take time to show results, but the figures underline how deeply recruitment challenges have affected the UK’s military strength over the past half decade.
Ongoing developments
These figures reflect outcomes up to 1 July 2025, covering recruits who began training between 2018/19 and 2022/23. Officials may argue that more recent intakes or reforms could improve future results, but the data currently available stops at that point. In July 2025, Defence Minister Lord Coaker told the House of Lords that recruitment reforms had begun to show results, with “inflow up 19 percent and outflow down 7 percent” year on year. He said application numbers were rising across all services following system changes and faster medical checks. (Source: UKDJ)
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
11 Nov 25. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reappointed Barbara Woroncow as Trustee to the Royal Armouries Board.
INDUSTRY
14 Nov 25. GMB Union has signed a landmark deal with Aeralis – the company set to build next generation of Red Arrows – to create 4,000 aerospace jobs. An agreement was signed by Aeralis chairman Robin Southwell Gary Smith, General Secretary of the GMB, this week. The company is committed to establishing a major industrial hub in Central Ayrshire, with plans to create more than 4,000 highly skilled jobs nationwide. In Scotland, the programme is set to generate £600 m in annual exports, among top three in the country. Aeralis is the front runner in the race to create the next generation of Red Arrows and is the only bidder offering a British designed and built aircraft.
Gary Smith, General Secretary of the GMB Union, said: “Selecting Aeralis would represent a major moment for Scotland’s industrial future, bringing back complete aircraft production to Scotland for the first time in 25 years. GMB is committed to ensuring that workers in Central Ayrshire and beyond are at the heart of this exciting new chapter for UK aerospace.”
Robin Southwell, Chairman of Aeralis, said: “The choice faced by the Government is clear; select a British designed and built aircraft offering long-term careers, skills development, and opportunities for future generations here in the UK, or to use public funds to import from abroad. This agreement between Aeralis and the GMB reflects our shared commitment to building a sustainable, high-value aerospace industry in Scotland. Overnight we will create, in partnership with GMB, one of the top three industrial enterprises in the region and by working closely together, we can ensure that the jobs we create will provide apprenticeships, well paid careers and new opportunities right here at home.”
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
13 Nov 25. VTT and Millog Promote Innovation in the Defence Sector. Changes in the security environment require close cooperation between security-critical actors in society. The cooperation agreement signed between VTT Oy and Millog Oy enables strengthening the development of capabilities of the defence forces and harnesses the scalable supplier network of civil society to support the functioning of society in various situations. On November 7, Kalle Härkki, President & CEO of VTT Oy and Janne Tarvainen, CEO of Millog Oy signed a cooperation agreement. Under the agreement, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, one of the leading research organizations in Europe and Millog, a strategic partner of Finnish Defence Forces commit to promoting innovation in the defence sector. The aim is to support research, development, and innovation (RDI) in the defence sector both in Finland and internationally. Together, they strive to develop solutions that maintain and strengthen the security of society. Both organizations are involved in several domestic and international defence networks and ecosystems. The agreement will also help to better support innovation activities in these networks and ecosystems. Changes in the security environment require close cooperation between security-critical actors in society. It is important that innovative capabilities are produced in an agile manner for use in the defence sector, utilizing existing technologies, new innovations, and various dual-use technologies. The cooperation between VTT and Millog enables them to provide significant support to the defence forces by strengthening development of capabilities and bringing in a scalable network of civilian suppliers to support operations in various situations.
” VTT’s multidisciplinary research and development expertise, research environments, innovation activities, and extensive cooperation networks help companies develop more competitive products, and we are also refining more and more innovations for use in the defence sector. Together, we will strengthen national performance and further intensify cooperation across the entire industry,” says Härkki.
“We have identified the need to support the agile development and adoption of new technologies and innovations. The agreement confirms our goal by combining VTT’s technological expertise and extensive research community with Millog’s defence material expertise and industrial networks,” Tarvainen says.
10 Nov 25. Cohort plc, the independent defence technology group, has today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korean shipbuilder, Hanwha Ocean at Defense & Security 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The agreement signals the ambition of the two companies to deliver innovative and cost-effective defence technologies to address the needs and requirements of the Royal Thai Navy’s 2nd phase frigate acquisition programme which is expected in 2026. The MoU includes Cohort’s proven naval defence capabilities such as sonar systems, torpedo launcher systems, surveillance, targeting and fire-control systems as well as communications management. With Cohort’s maritime technologies, which also includes satellite communications terminals, in service with navies across the globe, the Group is well positioned to deliver its innovative solutions to meet the needs of the Royal Thai Navy.
Andy Thomis, Chief Executive of Cohort plc said: “This agreement marks a key milestone in our growing relationship with Hanwha Ocean and an important step in strengthening Cohort’s international partnerships. By combining the expertise and technology from across the Cohort Group with Hanwha Ocean’s, we can deliver naval platforms that enhance operational effectiveness and, through unique modular and open architecture design, future proof vessels to support long-term capability and security. We’re excited to be exploring new opportunities alongside Hanwha Ocean and delivering the Cohort Group’s market-leading maritime capabilities to the Royal Thai Navy.”
Charlie SC(Sung-chul) EOH, President of Naval Ship Business at Hanwha Ocean, said: “Hanwha Ocean successfully delivered the prestigious HTMS (His Thai Majesty’s Ship) Bhumibol Adulyadej, the first-phase frigate, to the Royal Thai Navy in 2018. We are delighted to collaborate with the Cohort Group on the second Phase frigate programme. By combining Hanwha Ocean’s advanced shipbuilding expertise with Cohort’s proven weapon and sensor technologies, we aim to deliver a larger frigate with enhanced lethality, a legendary asset that will further strengthen the Royal Thai Navy’s combat readiness and maritime power”.
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
07 Nov 25. AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE: AME) today announced the appointment of Robert J. Amodei as Senior Vice President, Controller effective January 1, 2026. Mr. Amodei currently serves as Vice President, Assistant Controller. He will replace Thomas M. Montgomery who has announced his retirement after 42 years of distinguished service with AMETEK. Mr. Montgomery will remain with the company as a Senior Advisor through 2026. AMETEK also announced the appointment of Scott M. DelOrefice as Vice President, Group Controller, Electromechanical Group effective January 1, 2026. Mr. DelOrefice currently serves as Divisional Vice President, Finance – Engineered Materials, Interconnects & Packaging division. (Source: PR Newswire)
10 Nov 25. Kymeta, the global leader in mobile satellite communications powered by metamaterials technology, today announced the appointment of Manny Mora as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. This leadership transition marks a strategic acceleration of Kymeta’s mission to deliver reliable, resilient connectivity for warfighters and mission-critical operators across the U.S. Department of Defense and allied governments. Mora joins Kymeta following a distinguished 40-year career at General Dynamics Mission Systems, where he led Space and Intelligence Systems and supported operational needs across the DOD, Intelligence Community, DHS, and international partners.
12 Nov 25. QuSecure Inc., the market leader in quantum-safe security, today announced that Garfield Jones has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Research and Technology Strategy. A renowned technical advisor and test and systems engineering manager with extensive knowledge of IT and DoD systems, Dr. Jones will lead QuSecure’s technology strategy to meet U.S. Federal Government mission and security requirements, and build and nurture partnerships with stakeholders to drive strategic planning and continuous innovation for cryptographic management.(Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
12 Nov 25. Smiths Detection Inc. (SDI), a global leader in advanced threat detection and security screening technologies, announces the appointment of John S. Pistole to the Board of Directors for Smiths Detection US, LLC. Mr. Pistole brings more than three decades of public service and national security leadership to the company. He previously served as Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In his role as an Outside Director on the Board, Mr. Pistole will provide strategic guidance in areas such as global security risk, screening innovation, regulatory engagement, and transportation infrastructure protection. His extensive experience overseeing large-scale security operations and implementing intelligence-driven risk management programs aligns closely with Smiths Detection’s mission to deliver next-generation detection solutions that help make the world a safer place. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)