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21 Jun 25. UK Defence Budget Spin, 2.5%, 2.7% or zero? The Report in the Times that No 10 had put a gag on senior Armed Forces speakers at the RUSI Land Forces Conference, was another sign that the bullish rhetoric pedalled by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor that the UK was rallying to President Trump’s demand that Europe should supporting its own defence by upping spend to at least 2.7% with immediate effect to bolster defences and ammunition production to meet the growing threat from Russia, was nothing more than spin. Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the speeches by the Prime Minster and others and the recent SDSR Report, much of which were regurgitated previous orders such as submarines, does not stand close scrutiny to these claims. A number of observers have expressed surprise to the Editor that these claims of increased defence spending, at the expanse of the overseas aid budget cuts, don’t seem to be bearing fruit in the form of new orders and enquiries, with phones and emails remaining silent. However other sources say to BATTLESPACE that they see traction in forthcoming contracts from the MoD. So, the real answer is that there is small progress in contracts but not to the extent advertised by the MoD. The actual situation is that there will be a limited spending increase on certain projects with real spending at 2.7% kicking in 2027 at the earliest and the phones will remain silent until then with only the spin continuing in the background to pacify Donald Trump and Ukraine, with the threat from the Iran and Russia growing by the day.
19 Jun 25. Italy, pressed to boost defence spending, lashes at ‘stupid’ EU rules.
- Summary
- Italy pressured to lower deficit but hike defence spending
- Minister says current rules are an obstacle
- NATO calls for surge in defence spending to 5% of GDP
- Italy concerned about hurting confidence in its finances
European Union budget rules are “stupid and senseless” and need to be changed to allow member states to boost defence spending as recommended by Brussels, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Thursday. The EU Commission has introduced flexibility clauses to allow more investment in security, but Giorgetti said their current form penalises countries such as Italy, which are under a so-called EU infringement procedure for their excessive deficits. (Source: Reuters)
18 Jun 25. EU countries reach deal on new defence funding programme. European Union governments have reached an agreement on a €1.5bn ($1.73bn) EU scheme to fund defence investments, although some complained that its ‘buy European’ provisions are too restrictive, diplomats said on Wednesday. Governments have wrangled for more than a year over the European Commission’s proposal for a European Defence Industrial Programme (EDIP), part of a broader drive to re-arm sparked by fears of Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Much of the debate focused on eligibility. France pushed for strict ‘buy European’ rules to boost European industry while countries such as the Netherlands argued for more flexibility to buy arms from the United States, Britain and other nations. Under the final compromise, at least 65% of the costs of the components of an item funded under the scheme must originate in the EU or certain associated countries, with some exceptions. Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 countries are expected to approve the deal on Monday, diplomats said on condition of anonymity. It will then be the subject of negotiations with the European Parliament before it can enter into force. (Source: Reuters)
17 Jun 25. Rachel Reeves has signalled the UK will not lift defence and intelligence spending beyond 2.6 per cent of GDP until the next parliament, despite intense pressure from the US for Nato countries to boost their militaries. (Source: FT.com)
16 Jun 25. Germany: Alleged attack on defence executive underscores growing far-left risk to defence sector. On 15 June, anonymous far-left actors claimed that they planted an incendiary device in the private car of the managing director of the technology company and defence contractor Vincorion. The incident allegedly took place on 14 June in Hamburg (Hamburg city state). The incident was claimed as part of the anti-capitalist Switch Off campaign, which has been particularly directed at the defence sector and the Bundeswehr in recent weeks; this intensification is partly due to the marking of Veterans’ Day, which is held on 15 June. While we cannot confirm the attack, there have been numerous far-left attacks on defence and Bundeswehr assets over the past year, including an arson attack on a property belonging to the CEO of defence firm Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger. We assess that the government’s intention to massively scale up defence spending will likely revive anti-war activism over the coming months and years. This will drive the risk of arson attacks targeting the defence sector and the Bundeswehr in Bavaria (Bavaria state), the capital Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig (Saxony state). (Source: Sibylline)
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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.
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