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13 Oct 25. Royal Navy joins NATO allies as Russian submarine tracked in UK waters.
- UK warship and helicopter shadows Russian submarine through the English Channel in support of NATO mission.
- Comes two weeks after the Royal Navy tracked a Russian frigate and cargo vessel through the Channel.
- Royal Navy plays key role in securing the UK’s waters and areas of interest essential to supporting the economy and growth through the government’s Plan for Change.
The Royal Navy tracked a Russian submarine and carried out a concentrated three-day operation to watch every move as part of joint NATO efforts. The Plymouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke monitored the surfaced Russian Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk and its support tug Yakov Grebelsky near the French coast, close to the island of Ushant at the entrance to the English Channel. Over the following 72 hours (from 7 to 9 October), HMS Iron Duke, along with her Wildcat helicopter from 825 Naval Air Squadron, closely tracked and reported every movement of the Russian vessels as they transited through the Channel and into the North Sea. The frigate then passed on monitoring responsibilities to a NATO ally. The operation is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguard the integrity of UK waters and protecting national security through the government’s Plan for Change.
Al Carns, Minister for the Armed Forces said: “Russian vessels have been passing through the English Channel more frequently and our Royal Navy is on the job 24/7, keeping a close eye on their movements to make sure our waters and undersea cables stay safe. This is a clear sign of how the UK stands strong with our NATO allies to push back against Russian aggression. The Royal Navy’s dedication and professionalism are absolutely vital for keeping the UK safe. The Government is fully committed to giving our Armed Forces the tools and support they need to keep us secure at home and strong abroad.”
The operation was part of a carefully coordinated allied effort, with 11 warships from six nations so far linking up to locate, track and handover duties, ensuring constant and unbroken monitoring of the Russians – in the face of challenging weather conditions. It began in the Mediterranean Sea, with HMS Cutlass of the Gibraltar Fast Boat Squadron shadowing Novorossiysk – which spent time dived and on the surface during her voyage – through the Strait of Gibraltar, before NATO warships took up the tasking until the entrance to the English Channel. There, Iron Duke was waiting once more to watch the Russians – the ship’s second such operation in the space of two weeks and her 19th in the last year, as the submarine continued her journey towards the Baltic Sea.
Commanding Officer of HMS Iron Duke, Commander David Armstrong, said: “A surfaced Russian submarine will always focus the mind. This operation was characterised by teamwork. Spanning an extended period, and complicated by severe weather and a Kilo transiting both dived and, on the surface, it has involved 11 surface units from six partner nations – likely more by the time it concludes it voyage.”
Having operated as part of the alliance’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), which patrols northern Europe from the Baltic to the Atlantic to provide security and stability to the region, in the last year, Iron Duke was well-placed to coordinated effectively with allied warships during the operation. The Type 23 frigate and the Wildcat helicopter utilised their powerful sensors and remained poised to pivot to Anti-Submarine Warfare focus if the Kilo-class dived beneath the waves. The UK is steadfast in its support to NATO, increasing defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to increase to 3% in the next parliament. (Source: Royal Navy)
09 Oct 25. Italy unveils €31bn defense budget with NATO target in mind. Italy is spending €31.3bn ($36.2bn) on defense this year, the country’s defense ministry has announced in a long awaited budget document released on Thursday. The figure is up 7.2% on last year’s spending of just over €29bn, but is set to remain stable in 2026 and 2027, the ministry stated. Italy has come under pressure this year to increase spending, as NATO calls on members to hit 5% of GDP by 2035, up from a previous target of 2%. Italy’s spending last year amounted to only 1.54% of GDP, but Rome promised it would reach two percent in 2025. The new document announces that on top of the regular defense budget, a host of outlays that have been recategorized as defense spending have been added into the ledger, including pension payments and parts of the paramilitary Carabinieri police. In the process the €31.3bn defense budget rises to €45.3bn in spending, enough to qualify for the 2% target, the ministry said. The document gives a breakdown on spending this year for each program, but in a departure from tradition does not state the total amount of procurement funding which has been budgeted this year. It does say that defense ministry procurement funding will total €35bn over the next 15 years. In the list of programs to be financed this year, there is €100m to upgrade Italy’s aging Ariete tanks, €50 m to continue the development of new Panther tanks with Germany’s Rheinmetall and €130m for new Lynx fighting vehicles. As the planned Italian F-35 fleet grows from 90 to 115, there are €735 m for the program and €625m for work on the GCAP fighter with the UK and Japan. Italian officials have said they are considering buying the Japanese Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft to tackle hostile submarines in the Mediterranean. Without specifying what platform will be purchased, the document says six will be bought, with an initial €30m to kickstart the program in 2027. (Source: Defense News)
09 Oct 25. Europol and EIB Group to deepen cooperation through SIENA network. The European Investment Bank today announced it will deepen its cooperation with Europol by joining the organisation’s Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA for short). The platform is Europol’s flagship platform for the secure and swift exchange of sensitive and restricted information among EU law enforcement authorities, European agencies and bodies like Eurojust, Frontex and OLAF, as well as other cooperating states outside the EU. By joining SIENA, the EIB underlines its commitment to fighting fraud and makes sure it can rapidly exchange with the relevant authorities in a secure way.
“For the EIB, participation in SIENA is a strategic move that enhances our ability to collaborate with law enforcement on fraud, corruption and other financial crimes, as well as to exchange information and intelligence swiftly and securely, enabling us to react timely.” said European Investment Bank Inspector General Monique Koning. “This connection will allow the EIB’s Inspectorate General’s Investigations Division to exchange intelligence securely and efficiently, reinforcing the Bank’s role in safeguarding EU and EIB financial interests and supporting broader anti-crime efforts.”
Europol’s SIENA platform enables the swift and user-friendly exchange of operational and strategic crime-related information. It plays an important role in enabling cross-border cooperation, particularly in areas such as organised crime and financial intelligence. Today’s broadened collaboration builds on the signing of a Working Arrangement between both sides in 2021. Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle added: “Today’s signature demonstrates our shared commitment to ensuring the solid protection of EU funds and the financial integrity of the Union. Reinforcing our cooperation with the EIB adds another key actor to the EU’s collective efforts to fight fraud, corruption and money laundering. Connecting to SIENA means having access to a secure and compliant channel linking a wide community of European and international law enforcement agencies, with state-of-the-art security and data protection features.”
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, the EIB finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. The EIB has a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud and corruption. The Investigations Division of the EIB’s Inspectorate General handles allegations of fraud and misconduct affecting EIB Group operations, actively cooperating with national authorities in the countries where the EIB operates, as well as with European investigative bodies, international organisations and financial institutions, to exchange information and strengthen safeguards. See more info about the activities if the Investigations Division here. The EIB encourages anyone with information about potential irregularities in the projects it finances to report them through the dedicated channels.
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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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