LOCATIONS
MARITIME
24 Feb 26. Indian Navy to commission latest ASW-SWC corvette. Anjadip will carry out detection, tracking, and neutralisation of enemy submarines in coastal waters. The Indian Navy will formally commission the Anjadip warship, the third vessel of its eight-ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) project, on 27 February 2026.
Chief of the Naval Staff, admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, will preside over the commissioning ceremony at the Eastern Naval Command at Chennai Port.
Designed and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, India, Anjadip was delivered to the Indian Navy at Chennai on 22 December 2025. This ship revives the legacy of the former INS Anjadip, a Petya-class corvette decommissioned in 2003. Anjadip features a locally developed package of ASW weapons and sensors, including the Hull Mounted Sonar Abhay, lightweight torpedoes, and ASW rockets. The vessel, spanning 77 metres in length, employs a water-jet propulsion system for operations requiring speeds up to 25 knots. In addition to its primary ASW role, the warship is equipped for coastal surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations, and search and rescue missions.
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the vessel is designed to serve as a ‘Dolphin Hunter’, with a focus on detecting, tracking, and neutralising enemy submarines in coastal waters.
“The induction of Anjadip, named after the historically significant island off the coast of Karwar, significantly bolsters the Navy’s capacity to safeguard India’s vast maritime interests and coastal approaches including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Area, marking another key step in transforming the Indian Navy into a formidable ‘Builder’s Navy’,” the MoD said.
Anjadip marks another step in increasing indigenous content as part of India’s shipbuilding. (Source: naval-technology.com)
23 Feb 26. UK submarine arrives in Australia in AUKUS partnership first. Royal Navy submarine HMS ANSON arrives in Western Australia for maintenance with AUKUS partners. Royal Navy submarine HMS ANSON arrived in Western Australia today, a major milestone in the AUKUS partnership which supports security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic and delivers good jobs and growth in the UK, Australia and the US. AUKUS is the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the United States to build new attack submarines and develop advanced military technology that will help protect all three nations, drive growth and support security in a new era of threat. In a major milestone for the AUKUS programme, Australian personnel will work alongside UK engineers to conduct maintenance of HMS ANSON, an Astute-class submarine, for the first time. The visit will help them build the skills and knowledge they need to maintain the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered AUKUS submarine fleet in the future. SSN-AUKUS will be the most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy, creating more than 7,000 new jobs across the UK supply chain including in Barrow, Cardiff and Glasgow, and backing 21,000 jobs at peak production. The UK has invested £6bn since summer 2024 into critical infrastructure at Barrow and Derby that will realise the ability to construct a new AUKUS submarine every 18 months. The partnership is making defence an engine for growth. The benefits are already being felt with more than 3,000 new jobs delivered across key UK nuclear sites since this government came into office in July 2024. An additional 4,400 construction roles are expected to be created over the coming years. This government is stepping up on defence, delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.6% of GDP from 2027 – to ensure that Britain and our allies are safe. The AUKUS partnership is a huge part of the UK’s NATO-first commitment to lead on innovation and delivery in the trans-Atlantic alliance. AUKUS recognises the indivisibility of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific economies and security and will protect and defend our allies’ shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “In December, I promised that the UK is all in on the AUKUS partnership, and full steam ahead working with our Australian and US partners. In this new era of threat, with our adversaries working more closely together, partnerships like this are our greatest strength. I’m proud of the exceptional UK and Australian personnel and our industries who will work together over the coming months to drive forward delivery of this programme – creating good jobs and opportunities across our nations. AUKUS will deter adversaries, boost deterrence and develop the next-generation capabilities that will help make the UK secure at home and strong aboard.”
The submarine was welcomed to Western Australia by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS. He said: The arrival of HMS ANSON marks a decisive step forward for AUKUS, both as a powerful symbol of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Indo Pacific and as a practical opportunity to develop the skills Australia will need to operate and sustain nuclear powered submarines. AUKUS is an unprecedented, multi-decade collaboration between the UK, Australia and the US to turbocharge our industrial bases and deliver the cutting-edge capabilities we need to maintain our strategic advantage. The submarine visit follows the AUKUS defence ministers’ meeting in Washington DC in December 2025, where Defence Secretary John Healey MP and his counterparts declared “full steam ahead” and all three nations committed to driving delivery on the partnership. This milestone also demonstrates the UK delivering on the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review, published last year. The Astute-class submarine’s visit to HMAS Stirling on Garden Island, near the city of Perth in Western Australia, is an important moment in the AUKUS partnership, supporting Australia to develop the skills and capabilities it needs to operate and maintain its fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines that will support stability in the Indo-Pacific. In the coming weeks, training activities and joint maintenance including work on the submarine’s hydraulic systems, in-water engineering works and simulated emergency response exercises will take place. Australian companies will play a central role in the maintenance efforts, with five local businesses manufacturing components specifically designed to be installed on the submarine. Working with local industry is part of building an integrated industrial base across all three nations, adding resilience to submarine supply chains and creating new growth opportunities.
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie, who is at HMAS Stirling to witness the submarine’s arrival, said: “It is a privilege to welcome HMS ANSON to Australian waters for the first time, standing alongside our Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy partners. This visit represents far more than a port call; it is a demonstration of the deep trust, shared purpose, and collective ambition at the heart of AUKUS. Together, we are forging the interoperability and cooperation that will define our partnership for decades to come.”
Commanding Officer of HMS ANSON Commander Aaron Williams said: “The crew of HMS ANSON is very excited to be in Australia for this visit – the next step in the AUKUS partnership. After travelling over 8,000 nautical miles we’re ready to show Australia and the region what these submarines have to offer. We are looking forward to working closely with our Australian and United States allies and meeting the people of Western Australia. AUKUS will deliver significant economic benefits for communities across the UK. The partnership will expand Britain’s submarine fleet with up to 12 attack boats as set out in the Strategic Defence Review, supported by continuous production delivering a new submarine every 18 months. Based originally on a UK design, SSN-AUKUS will utilise the best of UK, US and Australian technology.”
The partnership will transform naval facilities in Western Australia, where Australian, US and UK submarines will be operated from, contributing to regional stability by bolstering deterrence and increasing trilateral presence in the Indo-Pacific. AUKUS will bring bns of pounds of investment into communities across the UK and Australia, including in Barrow, Cardiff, Glasgow and Adelaide and Perth. It’s estimated that AUKUS will bring 7,000 additional jobs to the UK, while Australia estimates 20,000 direct jobs will be created over the next 30 years. The wider Defence Nuclear Enterprise is projected to support around 65,000 UK jobs by 2030. These are highly skilled, well-paid positions, with nuclear sector salaries averaging £45,500 – 20% above the national average. This investment is bringing prosperity to areas of Britain with the greatest need, demonstrating how defence spending delivers real benefits to working people across the country. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
AIR
24 Feb 26. Northrop Grumman and US DAF agree to boost B-21 Raider output. The agreement boosts annual production by 25%, shortens delivery timelines, and maintains cost and performance targets. Northrop Grumman and the US Department of the Air Force (DAF) have finalised an agreement to increase manufacturing capacity for the next-generation stealth bomber B-21 Raider. The agreement seeks to increase the annual production of the bomber fleet by 25%, according to a press release issued by the Air Force on 23 February 2026. The arrangement utilises $4.5bn in funding previously authorised and appropriated under fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” According to the statement, the agreement will compress the planned delivery schedule for the aircraft without altering approved budgets or performance requirements.Production of the B-21 Raider remains on track, with aircraft delivered in 2025 and deployment at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 2027. In September last year, the Department of the Air Force received its second B-21 test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where flight testing is currently underway.
Northrop Grumman chair, CEO, and president Kathy Warden said: “The strong performance of the B-21 program has our Northrop Grumman and Air Force team ready to accelerate production of this game-changing capability for our nation. Northrop Grumman has invested more than $5bn in digital engineering and manufacturing infrastructure, and we are ready to produce B-21 faster.”
Developed specifically for long-range, penetrating strike missions, B-21 Raider is built to function in challenging operational environments and target heavily defended sites. The aircraft incorporates advanced stealth features, robust networking capabilities, and a data-driven command-and-control system intended to support joint operations in complex engagements.The design supports both conventional and nuclear payloads, offering flexibility in response options across various conflict scenarios. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Robert B. Brodie for appointment to the grade of major general. Brodie is currently serving as deputy commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force and commanding general, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Okinawa, Japan.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Michael A. Brooks Jr. for appointment to the grade of major general. Brooks is currently serving as commanding general, Training Command, Quantico, Virginia.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Simon M. Doran for appointment to the grade of major general. Doran is currently serving as commanding general, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Quantico, Virginia.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Fridrik Fridriksson for appointment to the grade of major general. Fridriksson is currently serving as director, Manpower Management Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters, Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Garrett R. Hoffman for appointment to the grade of major general. Hoffman is currently serving as director, White House Military Office, Washington, D.C.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Stephen J. Lightfoot for appointment to the grade of major general. Lightfoot is currently serving as commander, Naval Amphibious Forces Task Force 51 and commanding general, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Al Jasra, Bahrain.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG Michael E. McWilliams for appointment to the grade of major general. McWilliams is currently serving as commander, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Norfolk, Virginia.
25 Feb 26. USMC BG David C. Walsh for appointment to the grade of major general. Walsh is currently serving as program executive officer, Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault, and Special Mission Programs, Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
24 Feb 26. Melrose Industries PLC CFO succession. Further to the announcement on 1 December 2025 regarding the succession of Matthew Gregory as Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), on 5 May 2026 Ross McCluskey will be appointed CFO and an executive Director of the Board, and Matthew Gregory will step down from those roles on the same day. Matthew shall remain employed by the Company until 30 November 2026 (“End Date”) initially to complete an orderly handover process with Ross and, thereafter, will be available to support the Company until his employment with the Company ends and he retires on the End Date.
23 Feb 26. The Oxley Board announced the appointment of Phil Ashworth as Oxley Group Chair. Phil has a had a long and successful career in the defence industry and brings a breadth of experience from both his time in the British Army and through his senior roles with several blue chip defence companies. Phil was awarded the prestigious Battlespace Businessman of the Year Award in 2023, in recognition of his ‘huge contribution to the UK defence industry.’ Phil served for 27 years in the British Army as an Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance & Target Acquisition (ISTAR) specialist retiring in the rank of Major. On retirement from the Army, Phil held roles with Lockheed Martin, Roke Manor Research and Chemring. In 2017 he was appointed Managing Director of Exensor Ltd and subsequently became UK CEO of Bertin Exensor Ltd. Phil held several key executive positions as a Board member and joined Oxley Group in August 2024 as a Non-Executive Director before taking up the position of Chair. Phil’s considerable experience enables him to bring strategic vision, strong leadership and effective governance to the role.
Commenting on the appointment Phil said, I am privileged to step into the role of Oxley Chair at such a critical time for the business. With global demand for advanced and resilient technologies increasing, our priority is clear: accelerate sustainable growth while continuing to deliver the trusted technologies our customers rely on. I look forward to working with the Oxley leadership team to develop our strategy, invest in next‑generation innovation, and deliver solutions that keep the UK and our allies safe.’
Oxley Group CEO Darren Cavan added, ‘I’m delighted to welcome Phil as our Chair, his deep industry expertise, strategic vision, and proven leadership will be invaluable to Oxley as we continue to deliver our strategic vision and perform against our ambitious growth targets.’