Sponsored by Bertin Exensor
www.exensor.com
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
29 Aug 25. Japan looks to build drone ‘shield’ in record defense budget request. Tokyo is seeking another record-busting defense budget — including spending to build a drone “shield” to defend Japan’s southwestern periphery — amid rising concerns over the Chinese military’s moves near and inside the country’s waters and airspace. The Defense Ministry said Friday that it is seeking a budget exceeding ¥8.8trn ($60bn) for fiscal 2026, up 4.4% from last year’s record ¥8.5trn initial request. The budget is the fourth in a five-year spending plan of around ¥43trn, as Japan zeroes in on its target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense by 2027. Most prominent in this year’s request is a ¥128.7bn plan to build a multilayered coastal defense system covering the air, sea, and waters that incorporates unmanned assets as well as strengthened standoff defense capabilities to attack from outside an enemy’s range. Employing large numbers of “inexpensive unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles” — for both reconnaissance and attack purposes — the so-called Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense (SHIELD) drone system is due to be put in place by the end of fiscal 2027, according to the ministry.
“As seen in recent conflicts like Ukraine, tactics involving unmanned assets … are becoming prevalent,” a Defense Ministry official told reporters this week. “Recognizing this as an urgent priority, Japan must swiftly establish an asymmetrical, multilayered defense posture. This will be achieved by leveraging not only manned assets, but also inexpensive, mass-produced unmanned assets, and combining them effectively.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s counterstrike capabilities are also expected to get a big boost, with a total of ¥1.25trn requested for standoff weapons, including ¥180bn for an improved, longer-range version of the domestically made Type 12 ground-launched anti-ship missile. Deployments of those weapons in Japan are planned to begin before the current fiscal year concludes at the end of next March. More than ¥30bn for the acquisition of hypersonic missiles — which can travel at least five times the speed of sound — and 74bn for the development of the weapons is also being requested, with an aim of beginning production in fiscal 2026. These capabilities theoretically allow Japan to hit far-away enemy bases and other sites, though the government has focused on the weapons’ deterrent effects. Both the drone systems and the standoff missiles are especially important for deterring and defending Okinawa Prefecture’s far-flung southwestern islands, including those near democratic Taiwan. Japanese officials have called drones “game-changers,” signaling that the country’s defense establishment is well aware of how they are transforming warfare, which is why Tokyo is planning to give unmanned systems an outsized role in the Self-Defense Forces as quickly as possible.
The unmanned assets, in particular, are also seen as a “trump card” against population decline and recruitment woes faced by the SDF, the ministry has said.
Total expenditures on drones is expected to hit nearly ¥312.8bn. For the near-term, Japan is pursuing a policy of quantity over quality in procuring drones, amid what it says is an increasingly harsh regional security environment. China’s increasingly assertive moves in the air and waters around the country have triggered calls from lawmakers to employ drones to better respond and deter incursions into its airspace and territorial waters. In order to quickly introduce air, sea and underwater drones into the SDF, Japan is looking at potentially purchasing the unmanned assets from Turkey, Australia, the United States and others. Stockpiling drones — quickly — has been a key target for the ministry, a push that was highlighted in Japan’s 2022 Defense Buildup Program. According to the program, the SDF will “expeditiously procure various types of unmanned assets.” As part of the program, Japan is aiming to spend some ¥1trn on drone procurement and research and development costs by 2027. In terms of even longer-term goals, Japanese defense officials have emphasized the need to develop and nurture a domestic drone industry, with a special focus on “high-end” systems.
“While Japan may be significantly behind the U.S. in some areas, compared with others, I believe we are still in a position where we can compete. For this segment, the key investment focus should be on research projects and nurturing domestic companies,” one official said, adding that this includes “substantial funding” for areas like artificial intelligence and flight control systems.
“I believe we still have a fighting chance here,” the official said.
But, the official added: “It’s undoubtedly preferable to have more domestic products.”
For smaller drones, officials believe that while the core technology exists domestically, business model issues have proven to be challenges for Japan’s heavy industry manufacturers. The Defense Ministry is working with the trade ministry and others to tackle these issues. Japan’s focus on drones has echoes of the United States’ Replicator program, which is focused on fielding thousands of cheap, smart and autonomous drones across multiple domains to counter China’s military advantage in personnel and manned equipment. Indeed, moves by the Chinese military in the airspace and waters around Japan have been a driving factor in the push to spend more on defense. In a defense white paper released last month, Tokyo noted that the Chinese military is “stepping up its activities throughout areas surrounding Japan, including the East China Sea around the Senkaku Islands, the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean, beyond the so-called first-island chain and extending to the second-island chain.” It cites several recent incidents, including the China Coast Guard’s deployment of a helicopter in Japan’s territorial airspace around the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkakus in May. The white paper also noted a Chinese military aircraft’s incursion into Japanese airspace last August and a Chinese aircraft carrier sailing close to Japan’s territorial waters the following month — both firsts. Beijing has continued to chip away at precedent in recent months, dispatching both of its active aircraft carriers deep into the western Pacific last month and sending its warplanes near Japanese aircraft multiple times in recent weeks, moves that Tokyo said risked collisions. These attempts to punch even further into the Pacific have proven particularly unnerving for Japan, with the ministry also announcing in its budget request plans to create a new office focused on “Pacific defense initiatives” that will “examine how to proceed with systems such as surveillance and monitoring” along the nation’s periphery and how to cooperate with countries in the region.
“On the Pacific side (of Japan,) we’re seeing activities like the simultaneous operations of two or more aircraft carriers and aircraft being launched from them,” a defense official said. “And there’s a growing concern: Is our current surveillance and monitoring system on the Pacific side truly sufficient?”
Japan’s defense-related spending in fiscal 2025 reached 1.8% of gross domestic product, according to the Defense Ministry, zeroing in on its 2%, the gold standard targeted by many Western nations. Although Tokyo has touted the spending hikes as a tremendous breakthrough for the ostensibly pacifist nation as it seeks to contend with a number of growing regional threats, the U.S., Japan’s top security ally, has demanded it cough up even more cash and take on more responsibility for its defense. The Pentagon in June confirmed that it had set a “global standard” for Japan and other U.S. allies to spend 5% GDP as soon as possible — a figure that would likely be both politically unpalatable and economically unfeasible for Tokyo, especially as it grapples with rising inflation and a weak yen. (Source: News Now/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/)
28 Aug 25. “The spectrum of Russian threats to the UK is evolving … It is vital that an IAMD [Integrated Air and Missile Defence] system be developed in a way that does not render it an opportunity cost to the UK’s ability to project power but instead renders it additive to the UK’s credibility.” This is the view expressed in a new research report by the Royal United Services Institute subtitled, Options to Defend the UK from the Russian Missile Threat, by Dr Sidharth Kaushal, which evaluates the intensifying threat posed by Russia’s long-range precision strike capabilities and how the UK should best defend itself against them. The research says the threat to the homeland – ranging from Russian cruise missiles, ballistic weapons to hypersonic glide vehicles – is increasing and requires a carefully sequenced, scalable and resource-appropriate response. The research recognises that simulations, which have shown Russian missiles would penetrate existing UK defences, have heightened the awareness of current vulnerabilities. The report also considers missile defence solutions adopted by Ukraine, Israel and the United States. The research indicates the benefits of a missile defence ‘dome’ solution tailored for the UK, which enhances deterrence and does not detract from the UK’s broader expeditionary and NATO commitments. It recommends a three-phase approach to better defend the UK to 2040: first, addressing subsonic cruise missile defences; second, building limited ballistic missile defences (BMD); and third, developing capability to counter hypersonic threats. This program would involve some form of long-range land-based missile defence system.
Key Findings
- The threat to the UK from Russian long-range precision strikes is real and will evolve over time. The report says: “The spectrum of Russian threats to the UK is evolving from a single vector cruise missile threat into one which involves a broader spectrum of capabilities with different altitudes and speed regimes.”
- The most immediate danger comes from cruise missile attacks, especially those launched from Russian submarines. “From positions in the Norwegian Sea or Atlantic a Yasen class SSGN [nuclear-powered cruise missile-armed submarine] could deliver 40 cruise missiles against a fixed target with relatively low warning.”
- Ballistic and hypersonic threats will become more acute beyond the mid-2030s. “By the late 2030s, assuming that Russia achieves production rates comparable to the USSR, Russia may have a number of IRBMs [Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles] sufficient to enable conventional targeting at scale within Europe.”
- The UK’s current IAMD capability is limited and spread thinly across services. “The most pressing challenge faced by the UK is one of capacity in key areas which would force trade-offs between deploying capabilities in alignment with the NATO force model and national defence.”
Key Recommendations
- Adopt a phased response, aligned with the evolving threat. “A sequenced approach which emphasises incremental improvements to national defences against air breathing [low altitude] targets out to 2035 followed by a pivot to defences against ballistic targets … can mitigate risks to the homeland.”
- Improve cruise missile detection. “The most immediate challenge… is the paucity of elevated L Band sensors that can detect cruise missiles skimming over the sea over long distances.”
- Invest in ground-based long-range air defences to create a multi-layered protection system. “There will likely be a requirement for some form of surface based inner layer of defence.”
- Enhance command and control systems. “The ability to build a system with an open architecture capable of integrating capabilities held across the joint force will serve both the immediate aim of better employing available data… and create an architecture capable of absorbing new systems.”
Conclusion
This report provides a strategic roadmap for enhancing the UK’s homeland defences against an evolving spectrum of missile threats from Russia. It recognises that the UK cannot and should not replicate other nations’ IAMD models wholesale. Instead, it must develop an architecture that suits its specific geography, threat environment and alliance commitments. A phased, intelligence-led and affordable approach is vital to ensure readiness across multiple time horizons while preserving the UK’s broader military effectiveness. The report notes that the objective is not merely to defend the homeland but to strengthen deterrence and strategic credibility.
27 Aug 25. Colombia: Kidnapping of military personnel underscores physical security, organised crime risks. On 26 August, Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that armed civilians had kidnapped 34 soldiers in El Retorno municipality (Guaviare department). The civilians allegedly kidnapped the soldiers following pressure from the Central General Staff (EMC)’s Iván Mordisco faction. Before the kidnapping, armed clashes between military personnel and the Iván Mordisco faction killed 11 EMC members (including one commander) and one civilian. The recent kidnappings mark the 20th such incident involving the EMC in 2025. In June, the Carlos Patiño faction of the EMC allegedly pressured civilians to kidnap 57 soldiers for 48 hours in El Plateado (Cauca department). The Iván Mordisco faction highly likely coerced civilians to carry out the kidnappings, underscoring the elevated extortion and organised crime risks in EMC-controlled areas (such as Cauca, Guaviare and Valle del Cauca departments). In the short-to-medium term, we assess that kidnapping risks will remain elevated for security force personnel. The authorities will likely continue to deploy reinforcements to deter any expansion attempts by EMC factions. Further deployments and armed clashes will elevate supply chain disruption risks in the area, in addition to physical security risks for bystanders. (Source: Sibylline)
26 Aug 25. Hegseth Anticipates Full Review of Kabul Airport Attack Circumstances by Mid-2026. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he anticipates that a Defense Department special review panel looking into the circumstances surrounding the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, should be ready to present its findings by sometime in mid-2026. The attack, carried out by a bomber affiliated with ISIS-K and wearing an improvised explosive device, killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians at Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate. Hegseth spoke of the investigation yesterday in the White House’s Oval Office, shortly after President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation commemorating the fourth anniversary of the attack while surrounded by Gold Star family members of the victims.
“On behalf of this beautiful group, on behalf of these families on behalf of your loved ones who fought for our nation, America deserves answers as far as what happened in Afghanistan; the military needs to answer for what happened in Afghanistan,” Hegseth told the group.
The secretary went on to say that Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell — himself a veteran of the war in Afghanistan — is leading the Trump and Hegseth-ordered special review panel and that the review is taking place “on behalf of the American people.”
“The special review panel at the department continues its vital work to investigate the botched withdrawal, ensuring that the pursuit of accountability and transparency does not waver,” reads a DOD statement released today on honoring fallen heroes during the fourth anniversary of the attack.
“While the review is ongoing, the effort to uncover the full truth behind the decisions made during this period has not stopped and will not stop until every aspect is examined and those responsible are held to account,” the statement continues.
The work of the current special review panel follows a multi-month supplemental review of the original Abbey Gate investigation that began almost two years prior. Ordered by U.S. Central Command in September 2023, the supplemental review reaffirmed the military’s finding of the initial investigation that the Abbey Gate attack could not have been preventable at the tactical level.
“Justice for the families of the 13 fallen service members is an essential priority,” Hegseth said via the aforementioned DOD statement, adding that the victims’ sacrifice is “the driving force” behind the special review panel.
“We owe it to them, to the American people, and to all who wear the uniform to comb through every detail of what happened, delivering full accountability and restoring trust,” he concluded. (Source: U.S. DoD)
26 Aug 25. US-Venezuela-Trinidad and Tobago: US military deployments will increase regional tensions. According to reports on 25 August, the US will deploy a guided missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine to the southern Caribbean Sea. The authorities have not specified which mission the Ticonderoga-class USS Lake Erie cruiser and the Los Angeles-class USS Newport News submarine will carry out. That said, on 18 August, the US deployed three Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyers, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and multiple Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to combat drug trafficking in the region; the deployment carried a total of 4,500 service members (including 2,200 marines). Furthermore, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar granted her verbal support for the US’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the southern Caribbean Sea. Additionally, she stated that if Venezuela were to invade Guyana, she would grant access to the US military upon request to assist in defending the latter. The heightened US military deployments and Persad-Bissessar’s comments will escalate regional tensions with Venezuela. However, we assess that US military action against Venezuela is a remote possibility in the near term. (Source: Sibylline)
23 Aug 25. FARC Splinter Group Downs Colombian Black Hawk With Explosive FPV Drone. A Colombian National Police ‘Black Hawk helicopter’ was destroyed Thursday when an explosive-laden drone struck the aircraft over northern Antioquia, killing at least 13 officers, according to Colombian authorities. Officials said the helicopter was operating near the rural town of Amalfi during a coca eradication mission when the drone struck. Video shared online, recorded from long range with limited clarity, appeared to capture the moment of impact and later showed black smoke rising from the site. A second unverified video appears to show the helicopter being targeted as it landed in the mountainous region. President Gustavo Petro said in a statement on X that the attack was carried out by the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a dissident faction of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The EMC is one of several groups that rejected the 2016 peace accord and continues to operate in cocaine-producing regions. Authorities initially considered whether the powerful Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug cartel, was responsible, especially after the seizure of 1.5 tons of cocaine in Urabá earlier in the week. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)
22 Aug 25. Cote d’Ivoire displays new equipment during independence day parade. Cote d’Ivoire’s military has displayed some of its recently acquired military hardware during its independence day parade, including Shrek, Puma M36 and Ural armoured personnel carriers as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. The country held its independence day parade on 7 August, which included hundreds of vehicles operated by the military and gendarmerie, including a number not publicly seen before. Of note were South African Puma M36 and DCD Springbuck SD armoured personnel carriers (APCs), Chinese made WZ-551 APCs and DongFeng EQ2050 light tactical vehicles, Turkish Ural and Cobra II APCs, and Emirati Shrek APCs, built by Streit. The United States was originally going to supply 36 US-built Puma M36s to Niger, but after Niger ended military cooperation with the United States and American forces withdrew from that country, these were sent to Benin, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire. A dozen were officially handed over to Cote d’Ivoire’s armed forces on 10 April this year. The US Embassy at the time said the handover was accompanied by extensive training and ongoing support.
“These vehicles will strengthen Cote d’Ivoire’s ability to secure its borders and combat terrorism, while advancing American interests in regional stability. A stronger Côte d’Ivoire means a safer West Africa — and a more secure future for our two nations,” the US Embassy said.
The Springbuck SD vehicles were also seen at last year’s independence day parade, along with Husky route clearance vehicles. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI’s) Arms Transfers database, Cote d’Ivoire received 79 Springbuck SDs from South Africa. Also delivered within the last couple of years were 17 Norinco VP11 mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles, and nine VN-22B wheeled armoured fire support vehicles, from China, SIPRI reported. The latest equipment acquisitions indicate a substantial amount of new hardware has been delivered since 2022, when Cote d’Ivoire first displayed International Armoured Group (IAG) Jaws armoured personnel carriers, WZ-551 6×6 infantry fighting vehicles from China, and Nurol Makina Ilgaz-II armoured vehicles from Turkey. The Armoured Group (TAG) has also supplied BATT UMG and Terrier LT-79 armoured vehicles to Cote d’Ivoire while Turkey has delivered at least 20 Otokar Cobra II APCs. New to the country’s military are Otokar Ural 4x4s, which appear to be in service with the Gendarmerie. Cote d’Ivoire’s army previously was known to only operate handfuls of AML-60, AML-90, BRDM-2, ERC-90F4 Sagaie, BMP-1/2, VAB, M-3 Panhard, Mamba and BTR 80 armoured vehicles. These were in 2018 supplemented with second hand BTR-70 and Kaiman armoured vehicles from Belarus and Bastion APCs from France. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
25 Aug 25. South Korea tells China it wants to normalise ties, upgrade economic relations. South Korea hopes to normalise relations with China that have been strained in recent years, a special envoy from Seoul told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday, and agreed to boost economic cooperation, Seoul’s foreign ministry said. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sent a special delegation led by former parliament speaker Park Byeong-seug to his country’s main trading partner as he travels to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. (Source: Reuters)
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need.
A CNIM Group Company
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–