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20 Nov 25. UK: Usage of lasers against RAF points to incremental escalation of Russia’s grey-zone tactics. On 19 November, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that for the first time, the Russian vessel Yantar has directed lasers at pilots from the Royal Air Force (RAF) near UK territorial waters. The incident reportedly took place within the last two weeks. The Yantar is an intelligence gathering ship operated by Russia’s Main Directorate of Underwater Research (GUGI); it has likely been used for mapping European and UK underwater infrastructure. The incident took place as RAF P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft were tracking the ship off the coast of Scotland. The vessel’s use of lasers, likely to dazzle the pilots, points to an escalation in Russian grey-zone tactics against the UK. It also indicates Russia’s readiness to use provocative actions against UK and European military forces to protect reconnaissance operations and to test the boundaries of their defence. Healey called the move ‘deeply dangerous’. He also confirmed that he had changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that it can follow the Yantar more closely when in the UK’s ‘wider waters’; this is likely a reference to the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This points to a further escalation of tensions between the UK and Russia. (Source: Sibylline)
20 Nov 25. The UK will publish its highly anticipated Autumn Budget this week. Concerns around defence spending persist, especially since the UK’s Defence Investment Plan is still yet to be published (it was expected around September-October). However, Secretary of State for Defence John Healey implied this week that his department could be protected, noting that there will be no return to “hollowed out and underfunded” forces. It follows a recent parliamentary report which criticised a lack of investment, over-reliance on the US, and said that the country’s defence industrial base was “not yet configured” for sustained conflict. (Source: Clarion)
19 Nov 25. Germany will not reach defence spending target of 3.5% in 2029. Germany will not hit its own 3.5% defence spending target in 2029, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, as the country ramps up spending in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Germany’s defence spending will only be 3.05% of gross domestic product that year, Pistorius said in Munich. That is less than the 3.5% pledged by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil earlier this year. A NATO summit in The Hague this year agreed that allies will reach a new spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035. The target is made up of 3.5% in the defence budget, and another 1.5% of defence-related spending. (Source: Reuters)
19 Nov 25. UK: Alert to Parliament underscores sustained Chinese espionage targeting public, private sectors. On 18 November, the MI5 security service issued an espionage alert to Parliament over sustained recruitment efforts by the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), targeting MPs and parliamentary staff. The MI5 warned that MSS is using professional networking sites, recruitment agents and consultants to collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships. The MI5 also named two specific LinkedIn profiles who have already connected with an extensive list of officials and staffers across multiple institutions. In addition to state-focused espionage efforts, China is attempting to recruit professionals across multiple industries in the UK and throughout Europe. Universities, research centres and innovation-driven companies are prime targets, especially those engaged in artificial intelligence (AI), hypersonic technology, biotechnology, semiconductors, robotics, aerospace and quantum engineering. However, consultancies are also being targeted. We assess that China will likely continue using intermediaries for recruitment, relying on both financial incentives (including paid trips and speaking opportunities) and social engineering tactics. (Source: Sibylline)
18 Nov 25. Joint Statement by UK and Italian Foreign and Defence Ministers. Statement from UK and Italian Foreign and Defence Ministers Yvette Cooper, Antonio Tajani, John Healey and Guido Crosetto following a virtual meeting. Today, meeting virtually between the HMS Prince of Wales, at anchor in Naples, and the Italian Defence Ministry in Rome, we – Foreign Ministers Yvette Cooper and Antonio Tajani, and Defence Ministers John Healey and Guido Crosetto – reaffirmed the deep and growing partnership between Italy and the United Kingdom. We underscored our shared commitment to European security, cooperation within NATO, and support for Ukraine. The presence of the F-35-equipped UK Carrier Strike Group in Naples underlines deep British-Italian defence ties. Complex joint exercises during the deployment have further enhanced the interoperability of our Armed Forces. We discussed our united stance on global issues, from the Middle East to the Western Balkans, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, and underlined shared ambitions, including on the Global Combat Air Programme, European security and confronting the long-term threat posed by Russia, including by working together to tackle hybrid threats. We reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to strengthening Ukraine’s military, political, energy and economic resilience.
We reaffirmed our commitment to tackling illegal migration, recognising its links to conflict and instability in affected regions. Building on the UK’s recent contribution of up to £5.75m to the Rome Process, we agreed to cooperate to tackle the upstream drivers of migration and to use all available tools to tackle organised criminality. Together, we are building a future of closer strategic alignment, deeper defence collaboration, and unwavering support for international peace and stability. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
17 Nov 25. Boost to warfighting readiness as Britain’s aircraft carrier fully ’mission ready’ and committed to NATO for the first time. The Royal Navy’s powerful aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and her advanced fighter jets are under NATO command, the Defence Secretary has announced.
* HMS Prince of Wales first aircraft carrier with most advanced 5th generation F-35 fighter jets committed to NATO.
* Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary meet their Italian counterparts on the carrier, strengthening European security ties as part of NATO-first approach.
* Exercise Falcon Strike saw UK and Italian F-35s operating side-by-side in powerful demonstration of NATO’s strength.
The Royal Navy’s powerful aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and her advanced fighter jets are under NATO command, the Defence Secretary has announced.
In a first for Europe, this significant milestone sees the Carrier Strike Group reach Full Operating Capability with advanced 5th generation jets, airborne surveillance, and vital support ships to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, and support European security.
The announcement comes as the Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary host their Italian counterparts today (Monday 17 November) aboard HMS Prince of Wales, off the coast of Naples, during a visit to the historic maritime city.
In line with the UK’s NATO-first approach, as set out in the Strategic Defence Review, HMS Prince of Wales and her strike group will drastically increase NATO’s lethality and readiness. The move also means that for the first time, NATO will have a carrier strike group under its command with the most advanced 5th generation F-35 fighter jets.
Off the coast of Naples, John Healey MP and Yvette Cooper MP will host a UK-Italy ministerial meeting with Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Talks will centre on deepening defence and security cooperation, including joint efforts to counter hybrid warfare threats and bolster European security in the face of
We are in a new era of threat that demands a new era for defence. Our strength comes from hard power and strong alliances, so it is fitting to mark this moment alongside one of our closest NATO allies in Italy. Their F-35s have been operating from the carrier to demonstrate the deep partnership between our militaries.
Ships and aircraft from the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, the largest international carrier strike group the UK has ever assembled, will now work with allies for the major NATO exercise Neptune Strike.
This exercise in the Mediterranean will test NATO’s ability to strike targets at sea and includes carrier-based air missions and amphibious landings. It will also see anti-submarine drills, where personnel will practice for scenarios like ensuring freedom of navigation and securing maritime chokepoints.
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper MP said: “The partnerships we build abroad make us stronger at home. With Italy we are developing the fighter jets of the future, supporting thousands of British jobs, and delivering security for NATO in the Mediterranean and across Europe.
These joint exercises in the Bay of Naples are the clearest demonstration of how the UK is working with our Allies to keep our continent safe, deterring our adversaries and enhancing our ability to respond together to emerging threats.”
The Carrier Strike Group’s return to the Mediterranean follows five months of operations, engagements and defence diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific. As well as joint training and exercises with key regional partners, including Australia, Japan, and India, the deployment has also boosted UK economic growth supporting major industry and trade events across the region.
During this latest stage, the Carrier Strike Group is conducting a series of engagements with NATO allies including through port visits to Greece, Albania, Italy and Spain.
HMS Prince of Wales has the largest ever number of 5th generation F-35 jets from a single nation on a carrier. Over 4,000 UK military personnel, alongside Norway, NATO, and regional partners have also played a vital role during the deployment.
Throughout, the use of logistics drones for resupplying ships has been a major step forward in incorporating uncrewed systems on the UK’s aircraft carriers. There have been over 50 uncrewed air landings on HMS Prince of Wales alone. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
14 Nov 25. EU nations boost drone defense, pledge more US weapons for Ukraine. Top officials from Europe’s five largest military spenders met in Berlin today to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine’s defense and announce a number of measures designed to strengthen Europe’s eastern flank. Among the planned moves is the deployment of counter-drone forces to Finland and Belgium and new military and financial support for Ukraine, defense leaders from Germany, the U.K., France, Poland, Italy and the EU announced today.
Germany committed to delivering at least ?€150m ($175 m) in U.S.-made military equipment to Kyiv under a program designed to make available to Ukraine weapons that only America produces. This is on top of German military aid for Ukraine approved by the country’s parliament this week. In 2026, Germany plans to spend €11.5bn ($13.4bn) to support the Eastern European nation €3bn more than in the current year. A key topic of discussion among the so-called Group of Five was the escalating hybrid warfare that Europe has observed in the form of sabotage, unidentified drone sightings, cyber warfare and airspace incursions, among other tactics. British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said his country had joined Germany in sending military advisers to Belgium last weekend to assist in combating the sudden influx of unidentified drones over that country. The U.K. has also deployed anti-drone combat units to Finland on NATO’s northeastern flank, Healey revealed. Finland shares the longest border with Russia of any NATO country.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that his country, too, remains deployed in Belgium with anti-drone troops? of the German air force that had been moved there on just a few hours? notice. He made a connection between the ongoing discussions to use frozen Russian assets held in Belgium to support Ukraine and the emergence of the mysterious drone threat.
Drone defense is set to remain a key topic for the five leading European military nations. Pistorius said work is underway to present a signature-ready proposal for cost-effective drone defense at the ministers next meeting, scheduled to take place in Warsaw early in the new year.
Meanwhile, the officials shared intelligence according to which 93% of Russian strikes in Ukraine hit civilian targets. The estimate was mentioned on three separate occasions by the Italian and German defense ministers, as well as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. “A full and immediate ceasefire remains the bloc’s goal,” Kallas said. But Russia does not want to negotiate at all,” she added.
Kallas raised the possibility of confiscating frozen Russian state assets in Western banks. “Ukraine will need funding next year,” she said, and using immobilized Russian assets is the most clear-cut way.”
Domestically, the EU is developing plans to improve roads, railways and bridges to facilitate military mobility, Kallas said, with Brussels coordinating closely with NATO to meet collective objectives. (Source: Defense News)
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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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