Sponsored by Bertin Exensor
www.exensor.com
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
25 Mar 24. Sunak announces national endeavour to strengthen the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
The Prime Minister will today [Monday 25th] declare a ‘national endeavour’ to secure the future of the UK’s thriving defence and civil nuclear industry.
- Prime Minister to announce public and private investment to reinforce the nuclear workforce and support 40,000 expected new jobs
- Government will commit more than £200m over the next decade to ensure Barrow thrives as the home of UK nuclear submarine-building
- Defence Secretary will publish flagship Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper later today to set out full scale of the UK’s national nuclear endeavour
- UK’s energy security and national security depend on nuclear – and the industry needs more skilled British workers
The Prime Minister will today [Monday 25th] declare a ‘national endeavour’ to secure the future of the UK’s thriving defence and civil nuclear industry, as he visits Barrow-in-Furness and announces a significant package of investment in skills, jobs and communities.
Domestic nuclear capability is vital to our national defence and energy security, underpinning our nuclear deterrent and securing cheaper, more reliable energy for UK consumers. The nuclear industry is growing rapidly, requiring 50% more highly skilled workers in the next ten years – and we need to train a new generation of British talent.
The Government is partnering with industry, including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, EDF and Babcock, to invest at least £763 million by 2030 in skills, jobs and education. The investment will create more than 8,000 career opportunities to help the sector fill 40,000 new jobs by the end of the decade – and will support plans to double the number of nuclear apprentices and graduates and quadruple the number of specialist science and nuclear fission PhDs.
As the home of the UK’s Astute-class nuclear submarines – the most advanced attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy – and the new Dreadnought programme and UK AUKUS submarine production, the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness is also central to the UK’s defence nuclear ambitions. The Prime Minister will therefore announce today the creation of a Barrow Transformation Fund, with the Government committing an immediate £20 million and a further minimum of £20 million a year over the next 10 years to make Barrow an even more attractive place to live, work, and build a nuclear career.
Building on these new investments, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps will later today publish the Government’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper, setting out for the first time the full breadth of activity to sustain and modernise the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent – a cornerstone of national and global security for more than 55 years.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Safeguarding the future of our nuclear deterrent and nuclear energy industry is a critical national endeavour. In a more dangerous and contested world, the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is more vital than ever. And nuclear delivers cheaper, cleaner home-grown energy for consumers. That’s why we are investing in Barrow, the home of UK submarines, and in the jobs and skills of the future in the thriving British nuclear industry. Today we usher in the next generation of our nuclear enterprise, which will keep us safe, keep our energy secure, and keep our bills down for good.”
The Defence Command Paper will establish the UK’s nuclear programme as a critical ‘National Endeavour’ which is vital for our long-term security and prosperity.
It is expected to set out how the UK will deliver the capabilities necessary to maintain our independent nuclear deterrent – including progressing plans to bring new Dreadnought Class submarines into service in the early 2030s, deepening cooperation with our partners under the flagship AUKUS agreement and upgrading key infrastructure – supported by an additional £3 billion in funding for our nuclear enterprise announced last year.
The UK’s ambitious defence plans are underpinned by major new investment in Barrow. To unlock Barrow’s huge potential and support a growing workforce, the Government will commit an initial £20m for immediate projects, including supporting people towards work, community projects and completing construction on the A595 Grizebeck Bypass, and a minimum of £20m a year over 10 years to improve health outcomes, build more homes, develop the transport network and support local schools.
The Barrow Transformation Fund will be managed by the Barrow Delivery Board in collaboration with local leaders, who will allocate funding to areas of greatest need.
Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive and member of the Nuclear Skills Executive Council said: “Barrow is at the heart of the UK’s submarine enterprise and as the custodian of our submarine design and build capability, we’re incredibly proud of the role we play in the Astute, Dreadnought and now SSN-AUKUS programmes. Today’s announcement reinforces the importance of continued investment in critical nuclear skills at a time of significant growth for our submarines business and our 13,500 employees. The long-term vision set out in the command paper is hugely welcome and will support the necessary infrastructure development and recruitment required for the delivery of these important national security programmes.”
David Lockwood, CEO Babcock International and member of the Nuclear Skills Executive Council said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the UK to deliver a stronger nuclear industry that will contribute to the resilience of the UK’s independent deterrent and will support the UK’s energy security ambitions and net zero targets. As well as providing bed-rock support for the ambitious development required across industry and government for the AUKUS programme. Babcock is proud of the leading role it is taking in driving forward initiatives to retain and grow the critical mass of nuclear skills we need today and tomorrow. We have a keen focus on our major nuclear sites in the South West of England and in Scotland and are determined to leverage the benefits of the NNSPS, with our customers and other industry partners, across the broader communities we serve.”
Simone Rossi, CEO EDF in the UK and member of the Nuclear Skills Executive Council said: “EDF welcomes the joint commitments announced today and looks forward to working with Government and industry to help deliver the great opportunities for people who choose to work in the nuclear sector.
EDF has been at the heart of the UK’s nuclear energy sector for over 15 years and in 2024 is hiring a further 1,000 people into its UK nuclear family – in operations, construction, engineering support and many other exciting roles. The majority of these will be apprentices and graduates, as well as those with relevant skills from other industries. As we have learned in recent years there is an urgent need to attract, train and inspire the next generation of people who can design, build, operate and decommission existing and new nuclear facilities. We are excited to be part of this national endeavour.”
Steve Carlier, President at Rolls-Royce Submarines and member of the Nuclear Skills Executive Council said: “As a proud member of the Nuclear Skills Council and an important partner in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, we welcome news that the UK is going to go even further in its mission to meet the growing demand for nuclear expertise. It is an exciting and fascinating time for the industry as both civil and defence organisations collaborate to ensure we all have a strong and sustainable pipeline of talent coming into the world of nuclear. Nuclear has the power to protect and help meet the growing demand for clean energy, so news of the UK’s commitment to this unique industry is a sign of its importance. From opening our Nuclear Skills Academy, which welcomes 200 apprentices every year for at least the next decade, and our recently announced site expansion work, which is creating over 1,000 new highly-skilled jobs in Derby, to new satellite offices creating almost 300 jobs in Glasgow and Cardiff, Rolls-Royce is playing a pivotal role in supporting this national endeavour.”
As part of today’s visit, the Prime Minister is expected to meet apprentices working on the Royal Navy’s cutting-edge nuclear submarines. The UK’s nuclear industry is going through an unprecedented period of growth, driven by the Government’s ambitious nuclear energy targets, and is expected to need 123,000 people by 2030.
The investment in nuclear skills – which includes £350 million from the Government and more than £400m from industry – will create some 5,000 new apprenticeships in the next four years. It will also drive private investment and create job opportunities for everyone from specialist scientists and engineers, to welders and electricians, to project managers and Royal Navy submariners.
This follows the major reforms and £60 million worth of investment outlined by the Prime Minister following the Spring Budget to enable 20,000 more apprenticeships and slash unnecessary regulatory burdens.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
23 Mar 24. Out of service date confirmed for aircraft carriers. Don’t worry, the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers are planned to remain in service until 2069.
The information came to light in the following response to a Parliamentary Written Question.
James Cartlidge, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, stated:
“The purpose of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales is to provide the UK a Carrier Strike Group (CSG) capability. A CSG is a secure, versatile, agile and survivable, well-found sovereign operating base that exerts global influence through power projection, which, enabled by sea control and with minimal risk, delivers strike warfare against targets ashore.
On current plans the out of service date for the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers is 2069.”
On increasing the lethality of the vessels, James Heappey, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, stated:
“Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Carriers are designed to embark and operate fixed wing and rotary wing assets that are able to conduct offensive and defensive roles. Additionally, the QEC Carriers are complemented by other platforms within a task force deployment that bring a range of additional offensive capabilities. Operational planning ensures that any deployment has the offensive capabilities it needs to deliver its mission.
A range of programmes across Defence will enhance the lethality of a QEC-led task group going forward and ensure the capability remains credible in the future.” (Source: Google/UKDJ)
25 Mar 24. Two Baltic presidents have urged other European countries to do more to prepare for a possible armed confrontation with Russia by looking at everything from conscription and a special defence tax to dramatically increasing military spending. Edgars Rinkēvičs, Latvia’s head of state, told the Financial Times that European countries needed to return to “cold war-era spending” levels and should discuss the return of compulsory military service to boost defence forces’ manpower. “There is a need for serious discussion about conscription,” Rinkēvičs said. Western officials have repeatedly warned in recent months that Moscow could challenge the military alliance’s mutual defence clause with hybrid or military attacks on Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania — the three Baltic states on Nato’s eastern flank — in the coming years, following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Rinkēvičs acknowledged military chiefs preferred to have fully professional forces and compulsory service might prove unpopular. But armed forces across Europe faced recruitment difficulties and conscription would help build up more capable reserve forces to deter Russia, he said. “Nobody wants to fight,” Rinkēvičs said. “But the problem is nobody wants to be invaded as well. And nobody wants to see Ukraine happening here.” Alar Karis, his Estonian counterpart, said in a separate interview that a special tax to fund military purchases was worth considering, while Europe should aim to match US defence spending at a minimum — implying a more than doubling of current levels. The three Baltic nations have boosted their own defence spending rapidly in recent years, after repeatedly warning the rest of the west about Russian aggression for the past two decades. All three countries spend more than the Nato target of 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence and are aiming to reach 3 per cent. Rinkēvičs said: “Here in this part of Europe and the world, we understand that we need to get to 3 per cent . . . For most Nato allies, we must be honest: we have to go back to the cold war-era spending. And that was for many more than 2 per cent.” Karis added the US accounts for 68 per cent of all defence expenditure within Nato, spending $860bn last year versus $404bn for European members and Canada. “We have to do something. At least have it 50-50 [between Europe and the US]. It would be better for us,” Estonia’s president said. Estonia’s government has floated the idea of a hypothecated “defence tax” to fund an increase in military spending to 3 per cent of GDP, although it is unlikely to come into effect before 2026.
“It’s one way to directly put money to defence and people understand where this money goes,” Karis said. He added that former US president Donald Trump was right to call for Europe to spend more: “It is our defence, and we should do it for ourselves.” Conscription is returning in Europe: Latvia restarted it last year and Lithuania and Sweden also did so recently. Estonia, Finland and Norway have not stopped imposing compulsory military service since the cold war, while Denmark proposed last month to extend it to women along with men. In the UK, General Patrick Sanders, chief of general staff, in January called for a “citizen army”, although the British government said there were no plans to bring back the draft. Of Latvia’s own return to military service, Rinkēvičs said: “It was for two reasons: one, trying to train more people was really important as we entered this kind of geopolitical turbulence; two, there is a huge issue of demography in many of our countries.” Baltic leaders have been strong proponents of tougher sanctions against Russia, but they are also facing scrutiny over their enforcement of EU-agreed trade curbs. Recommended Rose Gottemoeller Ukraine and the mind games of nuclear deterrence Exports from the three states to central Asian countries have increased dramatically since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amid suspicions the goods are in fact destined for Russia. Rinkēvičs said more action was needed at an EU level to ban certain goods and enforce sanctions, rather than at a national level. “I would say that a more centralised EU supervisory mechanism would be very much welcome,” he added. He also said the bloc should consider imposing so-called secondary sanctions on third countries or their businesses that refused to comply with EU bans on exports to Russia. (Source: FT.com)
22 Mar 24. Spain’s industrial defence strategy promotes programmes from ‘standstill.’
Spanish Minister of Defence Margarita Robles detailed Spain’s military modernisation, and the uplift of F-110 frigates, S-80 submarines, Dragon 8×8 vehicles and the FCAS programmes.
Detailing Spain’s military modernisation efforts in a first appearance before this legislature’s Senate Defense Committee, Minister of Defence Margarita Robles described the promotion of programmes that had been left “at a standstill”, including the F-110 frigates, the S-80 submarine or the 8×8 combat vehicle programmes, and European projects including the Future Air Combat System (FCAS), according to a release from the Ministry of Defence from 21 March.
“Above all, we have approved an Industrial Defense Strategy, which did not exist, in the same line as other European countries,” said Robles, adding that the investment in Defense aims to “increase the level of strategic autonomy and contribute to the Europe of Defense,” consolidating an industrial and technological base of the Armed Forces.
Spain’s defence budget amounts to 1.24% of its GDP, with plans announced in January to raise this to 1.30% in 2024.
F-110 frigates
On 16 December 2023 Navantia cut steel for the first time on Spain’s second F-110 frigate, the F-112. The first cut is four months ahead of schedule, representing an acceleration of the programme, worth €4.33m ($4.65m), that has also seen work on the first frigate move forward.
The F-111, under construction since 2022, had completed 24 of 33 blocks by December 2024, ahead of the 18 that were originally slated for completion.
The Spanish Navy’s F-110 frigates are multi-purpose escort vessels, with anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities that will enable them to perform their force protection and naval projection functions. These ships, which are intended to operate in combination with other units, make them versatile platforms that can perform maritime security-related functions.
S-80 submarine
In October 2023, Spain saw the Isaac Pearl, an S-80 submarine, pass its final safety checkpoint before commissioning, after navigating at the maximum operational depth.
The S-80 is a class of vessels first planned in 1989 and ordered into production in 2003, the S-80 program has had a difficult road to delivery, suffering from overweight issues that necessitated the introduction of General Dynamics into the design process in 2013. The extensive redesigns in the 2010’s and a Spanish government budget crisis lead to significant delays.
The Isaac Peral was first expected to enter service in 2015, followed by the Narciso Monturiol in 2016, and two more boats in the class, the Cosme Garcia in 2018 and Mateo Garcia de los Reys in 2019 respectively. These are now expected for delivery in 2024, 2026, and 2028, respectively. The cost of the submarines has run to €977m ($1bn) per submarine.
8×8 combat vehicle
The Dragon vehicle is based on the GDELS 8×8 Piranha 5 combat wheeled vehicle.
A programme was launched in 2007 to develop a new armoured vehicle capability. Seven companies were selected, and then narrowed down to three possible contenders after the first phase of the selection process. The competitors were the Boxer from Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, the VBCI from Nexter, and the Freccia from an Italian consortium.
However, the programme was cancelled in 2010 due to budget cuts.
In 2013 it was reactivated, but without purchasing any of the previous contenders. Instead and TESS Defence SA – a consortium of General Dynamics-Santa Bárbara Sistemas, Escribano, Indra and Sapa – were awarded a contract to develop an armoured vehicle based on the Piranha 5.
In August 2020, the Spanish Ministry of Defence then awarded a €1.74bn ($2.06bn) contract to the General Dynamics European Land Systems-Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) joint venture, in August 2020, for 348 VCR 8×8 Dragon wheeled combat vehicles. There is also the option to extend the acquisition programme to include a total of 1,000 vehicles. The first production-grade units of the Dragon were ready for trials in August 2022.
In January 2024, Robles met with the Secretary of State for Defence Amparo Valcare and the CEOs of TESS Defence SA, to “convey their great concern about the lack of progress and the level of compliance with the 8×8 Vehicle program,” according to a Spanish MoD release.
FCAS
Spain joined the FCAS programme in June 2019, at the time the third member, alongside France and Germany. The FCAS was intended to include next-generation fighter (NGF) and unmanned systems such as remote carriers (RCs) that will fly alongside the manned fighter jets and cruise missiles.
All the manned and unmanned elements will be connected by a combat Cloud that will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The air forces will be able to operate the FCAS sixth-generation aircraft at a safe stand-off distance while deploying the remote carriers in dangerous areas to deal with threats.
Key capabilities of the aircraft will include improved survivability with active and passive stealth features, enhanced situational awareness through advanced avionics and sensor suite. The fighter jet will also provide greater manoeuvrability, speed, and range, thanks to powerful engine and advanced flight control system. The aircraft will be installed with novel effectors to ensure increased firepower, including stand-off kinetic loads, directed energy weapons, and electronic warfare capabilities. (Source: army-technology.com)
22 Mar 24. Albania’s defence spending forecast to nearly double over next five years.
Albania has passed legislation that will see defence spending rise to meet the Nato 2% target, increasing to 2.5% of GDP by 2029.
Albania is expected to nearly double its defence spending over the next five years, with a projected $2.2bn commitment from 2025-2029, as the country looks to develop its military capabilities in light of a changing global threat environment.
According to GlobalData’s ‘Albania Defense Market 2024-2029 report’, after a long period of stagnation and slight decline, Albania’s defence budget has begun seeing an increase, beginning in 2022, rising significantly after 2023, and continuously growing from $346.5m in 2024 to an estimated $512.8m by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate of 7.69%.
The cumulative spend from 2025–29 is projected at $2.2bn, nearly doubling the cumulative 2020–24 spend of $1.4bn.
healthcare. However, cities are growing rapidly. Currently home to…
By AIM Congress
Despite being a member of NATO since 2009, Albania did not pass legislation in its parliament to meet its 2% of GDP spending goal until 2024, the GlobalData report states. Assessments of its budget indicates it will exceed this target and reach 2.5% GDP by 2029.
Analysis of Albania’s spending pattern indicates that while budgets were increasing prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour look to have been a catalyst for further investment into defence. Among platforms being acquired are Turkish TB2 drone, capable of conducting ISR and strike operations, as well as UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
According to GlobalData’s inventory of Albanian military assets, the country has no fixed-wing aviation assets, with its Air Force consisting of 23 helicopters of various types, mainly transport. The Albanian Navy has four lightly armed STAN 4207 patrol vessels supplied by Damen and numerous other littoral patrol craft.
The Albanian Army is the most well-equipped and sizeable of its military, featuring the Soviet-era BMP-1/BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and Type-59 main battle tank. Western systems include around 250 HMMWV 4×4 tactical vehicles and 37 MaxxPro MRAPs supplied by the US, as well as UK Land Rover Defenders built under license in Türkiye.
Albania’s defence spending benefiting Nato
Other factors influencing Albania’s defence spending increase include the country’s desire to continue to participate in multilateral peacekeeping and security operations, such as the UN mission in North Africa, Nato’s KFOR stabilization force in Kosovo, as well as regeneration of existing military infrastructure to enable Nato partner usage.
Kuçova airbase has been upgraded to host Nato fixed-wing fighters. Credit: Nato
In March 2024 Albania officially re-opened Kuçova airbase after transforming the decades-old base into a hub for Nato air operations. Located around 80km south of Tirana, Kuçova airbase will serve Albania and support Alliance logistics, air operations, training and exercises, which was supported by Nato with a €50m funding commitment.
In a 4 March release, Nato stated that the Kuçova base was the Allaince’s biggest project in Albania in the last decade. Renovation work began with a ground-breaking ceremony in 2019 and includes upgrades and renovations to the control tower, runways, hangars, and storage facilities.
(Source: army-technology.com)
22 Mar 24. British foreign secretary says UK will work with whomever is US president on AUKUS. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Friday the UK would work with whomever becomes U.S. president in November, when asked whether the election of Donald Trump would endanger the AUKUS military alliance.
“What we will do, as I’m sure an Australian government would do, is work with whoever becomes the president,” Cameron told a press conference in Adelaide, after he and British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps met their Australian counterparts.
Australia said on Thursday it would spend billions on docks, shipyards and factories at home and in Britain for nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact, and named Britain’s BAE Systems (BAES.L), opens new tab to help build the boats. (Source: Reuters)
21 Mar 24. Estonian PM Kallas backs new EU defence industry commissioner post. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has backed the idea of a European Commissioner dedicated to the defence industry as the European Union seeks to become a bigger player in the sector.
Kallas, a member of the European Council of the EU’s national leaders, told Reuters in an interview that there was an urgent need to develop Europe’s defence industry.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sparked debate by pledging to create a post of defence commissioner if she wins a second term later this year.
The idea shows how defence has risen up Europe’s political agenda. Leaders have vowed to ramp up defence spending and arms production amid fears about Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and about the future of U.S. security commitments to Europe.
Some politicians and diplomats see von der Leyen’s idea as a welcome sign that Europe is getting more serious about defence. Others argue defence policy is the domain of member countries and the proposal risks dangerous duplication with NATO.
Kallas said such a post would make sense if it focused on industry.
“If the idea is about defence industry and developing it further, then we have an urgent need and then we could also have a leader that only deals with these issues,” she said in Brussels on Wednesday, after arriving for an EU summit.
“We don’t want to blur the lines between NATO and European Union,” she said.
“In terms of a military crisis, it is important who gives orders to whom, how the chain of command really works. That is NATO, militarily. But boosting the defence industry – that is where the European Union has also a say.”
WAR IN UKRAINE
The European Commission, the bloc’s executive body, has concentrated largely on economic matters since its establishment in the 1950s – reflecting the EU’s focus on soft power.
But the war in Ukraine has prompted the EU and the Commission to embrace more hard power.
An EU-run fund has bankrolled billions of euros in arms for Kyiv. The Commission has awarded billions more to stimulate defence investments, boost ammunition production and encourage EU countries to work together on common projects.
Thierry Breton, the French commissioner for the EU’s internal market, has taken the lead on the defence industry so far.
The Commission wants EU countries to spend much more of their defence budgets in Europe. It says about 80% of EU countries’ defence buys in the year and a half after the war began went to companies outside the bloc, mostly in the U.S.
Kallas has suggested EU joint borrowing to finance greater defence investment – a proposal backed by French President Emmanuel Macron. But fiscally cautious countries such as Germany, Austria and Sweden are sceptical.
Kallas argued such borrowing was needed urgently, even if countries took other measures to boost their defence spending over the medium and long term.
“The crisis is right now, here. We have to invest in defence now,” she said. “We don’t have the time to wait.” (Source: Reuters)
21 Mar 24. Lithuania pledges to spend at least 3% of GDP on defence. Lithuania’s parliament on Thursday confirmed state budget guidelines which foresee an amount worth at least 3% of gross domestic product to be spent on defence from 2025 onwards.
The motion was supported by two thirds of the parliament.
NATO military alliance and EU member Lithuania, which borders Russia and its ally Belarus, spent 2.8% of GDP on defence in 2023 and is projected to spend the same this year.
NATO members have set a defence spending target of at least 2% of GDP, but few have reached the goal.
However, countries bordering Russia have been ramping up defences after it invaded Ukraine. Lithuania’s neighbouring Poland projects spending over 4% of GDP on defence this year, and nearby Estonia 3.2%.
Polish president Andrzej Duda proposed earlier this month all alliance countries should spend at least 3% of GDP for defence.
Lithuania will partly use the additional money to prepare for permanently hosting 5,000 German troops from 2027. (Source: Reuters)
20 Mar 24. United Kingdom military is not AI-ready, procurement minister says. James Cartlidge also described a tweak to the acquisition process for high-tech platforms that allow military tech experts to play “failsafe watchdog.”
A top British defense official said today he’s not yet satisfied with the United Kingdom military’s adoption of artificial intelligence and, while it is already in use in some “important areas,” AI application needs to “go a lot further.”
“Are we yet at the stage where we can say, in every aspect of the MoD [Ministry of Defence] we’re at the highest level of AI preparedness? No,” James Cartlidge, minister of defence procurement, told lawmakers in a defence committee hearing. “I think the rate of progress is very good but I would never be relaxed and say that we’re now in a steady state that is entirely satisfactory.”
Among the “important areas” Cartlidge said AI has been deployed is in platform development, especially the “spiral” development of British drones deployed in Ukraine and Leonardo’s use of predictive maintenance for Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters.
Aside from supporting Ukraine’s war against Russia, the main use case for AI remains “the ability to hoover up data to analyse it at a far greater scale, far more quickly, than if you rely on” older methods, explained Cartlidge.
Such an approach has obvious implications for improved intelligence gathering. Significant inroads have been made to tackle problems around data access for software developers after the MoD recently opened up 60 different datasets, equivalent to 1 m gigabytes of data to developers “at higher classification,” said Paul Lincoln, second permanent secretary at the UK MoD.
Developers are also being “signposted” to “high-quality open source” datasets through the UK’s Defence AI Centre, he added.
Without data for algorithms to learn from, AI and machine learning is impossible, but in defense settings the ways in which the data is shared with external agencies, combined with strict vetting processes for the new organisations or individuals involved, tends to delay progress. Data labelling must also be implemented so algorithms can classify information accurately.
“We’re also looking at working with industry to think about synthetic labelling so that we can look at our own datasets and look at where we can actually increase the datasets which might be available to support that kind of development,” said Lincoln.
The MoD is also in the process of “looking for” a commercial cloud computing contractor so the department can work off a single classified cloud network. Such a secure network is typically required for algorithms to process data.
“There’s not too much more I can say about [the cloud acquisition] because of commercial confidentiality, but we are in the process of doing that,” Lincoln shared.
The steps to better manage cloud computing and data access are in conjunction with efforts to use AI in the development of “complex weapons” and lasers, so the UK can gain competitive advantages over adversaries, acknowledged Cartlidge.
He also explained that a push to better engage with AI small and medium enterprises has led to a “ramping up” of discussions at a classified level, while the MoD also wants to “bring in” dual use suppliers so it can “sensitively” share data with them.
Although the UK envisages AI being integrated to the vast majority of its future weapon systems, it has ruled out integration of the technology for nuclear programs because of ethical implications tied to such an approach, said Lt. Gen. Tom Copinger-Symes, deputy commander of UK Strategic Command.
Revising Acquisition With Expertise
When it comes to AI and basically any other high-tech acquisition, Cartlidge said the UK is about to get a second set of expert eyes.
A new procurement system policy is set to be implemented for the first time on April 8 and will allow Cartlidge to receive “revised advice” about the “technological viability” of high valued acquisitions, before he approves them. The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), an innovation unit, will play a “key part” in providing such advice.
He described the new power as a “failsafe watchdog” and one that “I don’t think exists in the current system.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Breaking Defense)
20 Mar 24. British Army’s Ranger Regiment Marks 691 Deployments Since 2021 Formation. The Ranger Regiment, the British Army’s premier unit for special operations, has achieved a significant operational pace with 691 deployments since its formation in December 2021. This revelation comes in response to a Written Parliamentary Question, highlighting the regiment’s active role in global military engagements.
James Heappey, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, confirmed these figures, shedding light on the regiment’s extensive involvement in operations since its establishment. The Ranger Regiment, formed under the Future Soldier reform, is designed to operate in capacities similar to the U.S. Army’s Green Berets, focusing on unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense.
As of January 1, 2024, the regiment boasts 1,040 regular Army personnel. This figure includes Trade Trained Regular and Gurkha Army members but excludes Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, and all other Reserves. It encompasses all personnel within a battalion of the Ranger Regiment, not just those classified as Rangers, and includes Gurkhas serving in Ranger Units.
The regiment’s structure and operational remit are reflective of its evolving nature as a special operations-capable force within the British Army. It consists of four battalions, each prepared to undertake roles traditionally reserved for Special Forces, extending beyond the scope of conventional military operations.
Recent advancements in the regiment’s capabilities include the acquisition of the new L403A1 rifle, which will be utilized by both the Army Special Operations Brigade and the Royal Marines, marking a step forward in the modernization of the UK’s elite forces.
The Ranger Regiment’s rapid deployment rate and diverse personnel composition underscore its importance to the UK’s military strategy and its adaptability to the evolving nature of global warfare. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)
20 Mar 24. Netherlands defense expenditure to reach $31.2bn in 2029, forecasts GlobalData. The Netherlands aims to improve military readiness and contribute more to NATO following worries about the return of high-intensity warfare in Europe and the future of transatlantic security cooperation. Faced with mounting concern regarding the stability of the rules-based international order, the Netherlands is forecasted to increase defense spending from $22.8bn in 2024 up to $31.2bn in 2029, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “Netherlands Defense Market Size, Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2029,” reveals that the Netherlands’ defense spending is forecasted to rise to $26.6bn in 2025.
The Dutch acquisition budget ballooned from $2.8bn in 2020 to $5.7bn in 2024, marking a CAGR of 18.9% over 2020-24. During the forecast period (2025-29), the acquisition budget is expected to grow from $6.7bn in 2025 to $8.0 bn in 2029 at a 4.6% CAGR, spurred by concurrent modernization programs. In the same period, the country’s total defense budget is anticipated to increase from $22.8bn in 2024 to $31.2bn in 2029, reflecting a CAGR of 4.1%.
Fox Walker, Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Like many NATO member states, the Netherlands has committed to spend at least 2% of its GDP on defense. The country remains just shy of this goal, but it has made significant progress—particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
One of the many reasons for the Netherlands’ increased expenditure is Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s desire to be the next secretary general of NATO. Rutte led his country during a period when defense spending was barely above 1.0% of GDP. After years of approving small defense budgets, Rutte now wants to lead the alliance at a time when some are questioning Western Europe’s commitment.
Rutte’s aspiration to become secretary general should have required him to strengthen his country’s posture to at least the bare minimum of 2%, but the Netherlands did not even achieve this goal under his leadership.
Walker concludes: “President Biden’s support for Rutte’s bid to lead NATO is somewhat surprising, especially when Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has expressed interest in the position. Rutte led at a time when his country only spent 1.2% of GDP on defense. Kallas, who is expected to further increase her country’s defense spending to 3.2% of GDP in 2024, would be a powerful voice more than capable of leading the alliance.”
(Source: GlobalData)
19 Mar 24. UK makes warning against nuclear war that ‘cannot be won.’
The UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN warned the Security Council against nuclear proliferation, days after nuclear rhetoric from Putin.
At a meeting of the UN Security Council on 18 March, UK Ambassador James Kariuki condemned Russia for suspending its obligations to preventing nuclear proliferation, reaffirming the P5 leaders statement of 2022: “A nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought.”
Particularly alarming, according to Kariuki, is Russia’s withdrawal from its commitments under the New START treaty, its cessation of participation in the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and violations of resolutions regarding Iran and North Korea to procure arms for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He urged Russia to return to compliance with its international obligations.
The statement comes five days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian nuclear forces were on “constant alert” and that from a “military-technical” perspective Russia is prepared for nuclear war.
“Weapons are there to be used,” said Putin, in a state television broadcast on 13 March, in the days before the Russian presidential elections.
However, in a statement that surprises international onlookers, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, signalled during a live television interview to the Izvestia TV channel on 17 March that Russian is ready to join discussions on nuclear-disarmament and non-proliferation.
Ambassador Kariuki underscored the pivotal role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in maintaining global security over the past fifty years. He highlighted the treaty’s success in promoting peaceful nuclear technologies while safeguarding against the spread of nuclear weapons, and called on the international community to not become complacent regarding nuclear proliferation.
The UK, he stated, is looking forward to a working alongside UN members to strengthen the treaty’s impact: “The UK is committed to a successful review conference in 2026 and looks forward to working with all UN members to this end.”
The UK stands out as the only nuclear-armed state to have streamlined its arsenal to a single delivery system, maintaining what it deems a minimum credible deterrent. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure transparency in nuclear disarmament and has significantly contributed to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation, hosting thirteen of its monitoring facilities.
Highlighting the broader benefits of non-proliferation efforts, Kariuki detailed the UK’s contributions to expanding access to peaceful nuclear technology, particularly in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. He mentioned the UK’s financial support for the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Fund with $4.3m, and acknowledged the upcoming twentieth anniversary of the Council’s adoption of resolution 1540, which aimed to prevent non-state actors from acquiring materials for weapons of mass destruction.
Ambassador Kariuki specifically pointed to the need for continued vigilance against North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, urging the country towards denuclearisation. He also called for Iran and Syria to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noting with concern the advanced state of Iran’s nuclear program. (Source: army-technology.com)
19 Mar 24. Europe must step up to a war footing and prioritise the defence industry’s access to critical machinery and electricity as the conflict in Ukraine looks set to drag on, according to the head of one of the region’s biggest arms producers. Morten Brandtzæg, chief executive of ammunition producer Nammo, which is part-owned by the Norwegian and Finnish governments, told the Financial Times that more than two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, politicians and societies were still in peacetime mode even though large parts of the defence industry were producing “like it is a war”. Companies have been under intense pressure to increase output of ammunition, missiles and other weapons to replenish national stockpiles that have been depleted in the west’s support of Ukraine. Despite financial support from both Brussels and national governments to help with the unprecedented investments needed, the industry was still facing problems accessing critical production equipment as well as electricity, said Brandtzæg. “The demand for certain things from the defence industry is a demand for war production,” he told the Financial Times in an interview. Nammo’s plans to expand its largest factory were halted last year because a new data centre for TikTok was using up all the spare power capacity in the area. In the absence of legislation, said Brandtzaeg, the issue was not yet “100 per cent resolved”. “It can’t be so that we lose the war because we store too many cat videos,” he added. Europe should consider legislation similar to the Defense Production Act in the US, which gives the president the powers to compel companies to prioritise government contracts over private ones, said Brandtzæg. “Should there be some kind of legislation that in certain times of crisis European defence producers have first access to production equipment to buy that? That is done by law in the US but not regulated in Europe,” he said, adding “that is an area where we can improve”. The industry was sometimes “number nine in the queue to buy production equipment and all the other guys are buying for commercial use” Brandtzæg said. Nammo is set to receive more than €300m in support from both national governments such as Norway and Finland, and the EU, equivalent to how much it would invest in a decade during peacetime. It is also investing about €150m of its own money annually. Western governments have warned in recent months that Russia is only a few years away from being able to attack a Nato country, in large part because of how much more ammunition Moscow is producing a year compared with Europe. Brandtzæg said that Europe needed to go further. “In my view, we must step up more. We must step up faster. We have a good process started but we must continue to run faster. We are in an industrial war of capacity,” he added. Nammo is one of Europe’s biggest ammunition producers, making everything from the biggest artillery shells to those used in tanks, fighter jets, and guns. Alongside Roxel, owned equally by missile maker MBDA and France’s Safran, it is one of just two European manufacturers of “rocket motors”, propulsion systems for rockets and missiles. Ukraine’s demand for missiles has sparked concern about a potential shortage of rocket motors. US defence group RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, warned last year that capacity constraints at rocket motor producer Aerojet Rocketdyne were hampering American production. Consolidation in the industry has left just two in the US — Aerojet, which was bought by L3 Harris last year — and Northrop Grumman. Brandtzæg said Nammo was in talks with the Pentagon about becoming the third supplier of rocket motors in the US to help “strengthen the industrial base in the western world”. Nammo was also talking to the large contractors about how it can help, although the company, he added, was keen to remain an independent supplier of rocket motors. (Source: FT.com)
18 Mar 24. SIPRI Reports European Arms Imports Nearly Double, US and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply. According to new data on international arms transfers published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), European countries almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 percent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. Far larger volumes of arms flowed to Asia and Oceania and the Middle East in 2019–23, where nine of the 10 largest arms importers are. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 percent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France. The global volume of international arms transfers fell slightly by 3.3 percent between 2014–18 and 2019–23. Click here to explore the interactive map. Around 55 percent of arms imports by European states in 2019–23 were supplied by the USA, up from 35 percent in 2014–18. ‘More than half of arms imports by European states come from the USA,’ noted SIPRI Director Dan Smith, ‘while at the same time, Europe is responsible for about a third of global arms exports, including large volumes going outside the region, reflecting Europe’s strong military–industrial capacity. Many factors shape European NATO states’ decisions to import from the USA, including the goal of maintaining trans-Atlantic relations alongside the more technical, military, and cost-related issues. If trans-Atlantic relations change in the coming years, European states’ arms procurement policies may also be modified.’ (Source: glstrade.com)
19 Mar 24. Spain: Terrorist risk will likely remain elevated in coming months due to Israel-Hamas war. On 19 March, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Spain’s latest National Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The strategy warns of an increased terrorist threat due to the Israel-Hamas war. It states that the threat is especially high as the war in Ukraine has made weapons more easily available in Europe (a concern shared by various regional intelligence services). Sánchez also mentioned other pan-European concerns such as radicalisation in prisons, increasingly sophisticated propaganda, the return of foreign terrorist fighters, a rise in far-right extremism and an increasing number of minors arrested for extremism-related offences and/or activity. We assess that the most significant threat actors in Spain are sole-perpetrator jihadist terrorists who aim to attack soft targets with rudimentary weaponry. We assess that this risk will remain elevated in the coming months. It is possible that developments in the Israel-Hamas war will increasingly function as triggers of terrorist activity during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan. (Source: Sibylline)
————————————————————————-
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
————————————————————————-