NEWS IN BRIEF – UNITED KINGDOM AND EUROPE

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26 Mar 21. Cut off from F-35, Turkey turns to UK for keeping air force competitive. After its removal from the international program for the new generation F-35 stealth fighter jets, Turkey intensified its cooperation with the UK to manufacture its own fighter jets. Ankara’s National Combat Airplane (MMU) project involves producing the TF-X (Turkish Fighter – X), which is expected to be equipped with a special engine designed by Rolls Royce. Turkey is receiving technology transfer and assistance from London for the plane’s software and critical components.

For the project, to which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently refers in his election campaigns, Turkey has begun taking concrete steps in coordination with its ally. British Aerospace Systems (BAE Systems) is the main partner in the project.

Abdurrahman Şeref Can, a high-ranking aerospace official from the Presidency of the Defense Industries (SSB), stated during a defense fair he attended last week that the planned aircraft will be a fourth-generation fighter jet and that its engines would be provided by Rolls Royce if an agreement can be finalized.

BAE Systems as the main partner

When Ankara announced its plans for a homemade fighter jet, the first proposal came from Rolls Royce, which suggested jointly developing an engine. However, no agreement has been concluded due to some of the conditions put forward by the company.

Dominick Chilcott, the UK ambassador to Turkey, told the state-run TRT World in December 2020 that the first stage of the work for the TF-X was ahead of schedule and that the main partner, BAE Systems, was satisfied with the progress made.

According to the schedule provided by Chilcott, the second stage will begin by the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.

Delay in agreement for engine

The most critical component of the MMU project, the engine, remains an unresolved issue, with the sides at an impasse over the intellectual property rights of the plane and its sale to third countries. Beginning in 2010 Turkey had contacted US and Swedish firms for the engine yet settled on the British company after ties with London began to improve in 2016.

British technology in Turkish drone systems

London has been supporting Turkey in the air for a while. Armed drones manufactured by a company owned by Selçuk Bayraktar, Erdoğan’s son-in-law, has been the most visible field of cooperation.

The TB2 drone, which Ankara has used in the clashes in Libya, Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh, enjoys the support of the Brighton-based EDO MBM Technology Ltd. In 2019, The Guardian published a report titled “Revealed: How UK technology fuelled Turkey’s rise to global drone power.”

Turkey’s greatest defense industry project

With MMU, Turkey also aims to become one of the few countries in the world that have the infrastructure and technology to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet. The project is the largest among Turkey’s defense initiatives, and of the $20 billion allocated to it, the UK will get lion’s share.

Erdoğan had pointed to the year 2023 for the plane to make its debut. For 2023, the centennial of the Turkish Republic, Erdoğan has made many promises thus far. While the SSB confirms the goal put forward by Erdoğan, it sets the first flight date as 2025. With five years of test runs, the aircraft will make it into the Turkish Air Force’s inventory by 2030 in the best case scenario.

The agreement between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and BAE Systems was concluded in 2017. The British company also carried out the recruitment of engineers to work for the project in Turkey.

(Source: News Now/https://www.turkishminute.com/)

26 Mar 21. Conference on Disarmament: Minister Cleverly’s Address on the UK Integrated Review.

Minister James Cleverly addressed the Conference on Disarmament following the publication of the UK Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Foreign Policy and Development.

Mr President,

Thank you for the opportunity to address the Conference on Disarmament. It is a particular pleasure to do so under the Presidency of the UK’s friend and Ally, Bulgaria. As the single multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament, this Conference has played a decisive role in developing the international legal framework on weapons of mass destruction that make the world safer.

Today, I would like to brief the Conference on the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Foreign and Development Policy, that we published last week. The review is about building resilience at home and overseas; strengthening defence and security partnerships; contributing to scientific and technological innovation, and shaping the open international order of the future that allows all countries, and all peoples, to be secure, prosperous and free.

Through all these objectives runs the UK’s enduring commitment to solving problems with our partners through multilateral channels. We are a European country with a uniquely global set of partnerships, capabilities and interests. We want to work with the entire international community towards mutual security and prosperity, and to establish the norms in the future frontiers of cyberspace, new technologies, data and space. The Conference on Disarmament has an important role to play.

Mr President, Our Integrated Review also serves as an official statement of the UK’s nuclear deterrence policy. We are clear that we intend to maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent, for as long as we need it, as the ultimate guarantee of our security and that of our NATO Allies.

We are equally clear that we remain committed to, and will actively pursue, the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The fundamental purpose of the UK’s nuclear weapons remains to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.

And we remain committed to maintaining only the minimum destructive power needed, to guarantee that our nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective, against the full range of state nuclear threats, from whichever direction.

This represents the continuation of our longstanding policy. But we are also adapting to ensure that our nuclear deterrent remains aligned to the current realities. The nuclear security environment has deteriorated over the past decade; and as we look at the darkening global security picture, we place as much emphasis on the “credible” bit of the policy as on the word “minimum”.

In this context, the UK intends to increase the limit of our overall weapons stockpile from 225, to no more than 260 warheads. I must stress that this is a ceiling, not a target, and is not our current stockpile. We will continue to keep this under review in light of the international security environment. The UK is committed to the principle of transparency, in both our nuclear doctrine and our capabilities, to the extent compatible with our national security considerations and non-proliferation obligations.

But a measure of deliberate ambiguity contributes to strategic stability by complicating the calculations of potential aggressors, and by reducing the risk of deliberate nuclear use by those seeking a first strike advantage. Therefore, the UK remains deliberately ambiguous about precisely when, how and at what scale we would contemplate the use of our nuclear weapons. And we are extending this policy by no longer giving public figures for our operational stockpile, either for deployed warheads or deployed missile numbers.

We also reviewed the UK’s unilateral negative security assurance. As has been the case for many years, the UK will not use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This assurance does not apply to any state in material breach of those non-proliferation obligations.

Our Integrated Review makes clear that we reserve the right to review this assurance, if the future threat of weapons of mass destruction – such as chemical and biological capabilities, or emerging technologies that could have a comparable impact – makes it necessary to do so.

Mr President, Let me be clear: we remain committed to multilateral disarmament and our shared long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The UK’s unequivocal undertaking, with the other nuclear weapons states, to eliminate our nuclear arsenals persists; as do our obligations under Article 6 of the Non Proliferation Treaty. As such, the UK has taken, and will continue to take, a consistent and leading approach to nuclear disarmament. The UK possesses the smallest stockpile of any of nuclear state recognised by the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and we are alone amongst those states in operating a single nuclear weapon system.

We also maintain our voluntary moratorium on the production of fissile material for the use in nuclear explosive devices. Building on these unilateral measures, we will continue to press for key steps towards multilateral disarmament. And this includes the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and successful negotiations at this Conference on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

The UK will continue to take a leading international role on nuclear disarmament verification, which is essential for achieving and maintaining a world without nuclear weapons under strict and effective international control. We will also continue to work to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict through misinterpretation and miscalculation, and to enhance mutual trust and security.

We will champion strategic risk reduction and seek to create dialogue, both among states who possess nuclear weapons, as well as between states who possess nuclear weapons and those who do not. The road to a nuclear weapon-free world will remain challenging. But we firmly believe that the best way – indeed the only credible way – to get there is by the gradual, multilateral, negotiated, step-by-step approach within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Integrated Review explicitly commits the UK to doing just this.The UK takes its responsibilities as a nuclear weapon state seriously, and will continue to encourage others to do the same.

Mr President, The prevention of an arms race in outer space has been on the agenda of this Conference since the early 1980s, and remains a core issue. Our Integrated Review recognises the centrality of space systems to our security and prosperity. It also highlights the growing range of threats to space systems, and the risk that those threats could lead to miscalculation and, in turn, escalation.

The open international order must extend to outer space, to tackle these threats to international peace and security. General Assembly resolution 75/36 on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours in outer space, which the UK had the honour to lead, contributes to this goal. We will continue this important work as a way to manage and mitigate the perceptions of threat, and avoid conflict.

Mr President, Let me also highlight some aspects of the Integrated Review that touch on the wider non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament picture.

We are determined to strengthen international prohibitions on the use of Chemical and Biological weapons. We are also determined to ensure accountability for those who use them – such as those responsible for the poisoning of Alexey Navalny, those responsible for the chemical weapons attack in Salisbury in 2018, and members of the Syrian regime responsible for the appalling use of chemical weapons against its own people. The Chemical Weapons Convention Conference of States Parties must take a stand against these incidents, and against the Syrian regime’s failure to accurately declare its chemical weapons programme.

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the devastating effects of disease, and the need to strengthen global biosecurity. The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to ban biological weapons for decades, and will continue to champion ways of strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, at the forthcoming Ninth Review Conference.

We will also support global efforts to protect our citizens from the risk of terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction, including through our leadership of the Global Partnership under our G7 Presidency.

Our Integrated Review recognises the extraordinary potential that technology has for global prosperity, to the benefit of all. But the exploitation and proliferation of new technology poses risks too, and we must work together to extend the international order to cover them, supplementing domestic controls and protections.

Our Integrated Review also makes clear that the UK remains determined to prevent the destabilising accumulation and illicit transfers of conventional weapons. We will work with our partners across the world to advocate for conventional arms control regimes, which reduce the likelihood of war and its humanitarian impact, including through our upcoming Presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Finally, the UK has now fulfilled its legal obligations to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, by clearing all landmines from the Falkland Islands, and we will continue to uphold our moral obligation to support mine action across the globe.

Mr President, The UK’s Integrated Review puts multilateralism, arms control, non-proliferation, and disarmament at the heart of our approach to security.

We recognise that in order for all to succeed and prosper, it is no longer enough simply to defend the status quo; we must dynamically shape the international order of the future, extending it to the new frontiers of cyberspace, emerging technology and outer space. And it is vital that we protect democratic values as we do so.

The UK commits to continue to work with you all, to play a constructive and creative role in this Conference, and in the wider multilateral disarmament machinery, in order to turn this vision into a reality.

And I thank you. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

26 Mar 21. Future Maritime Support Programme contracts awarded.

Following a robust competition, five contracts have been awarded as part of the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP). The contracts will form part of the £5.2bn Future Maritime Support Programme and sustain over 9,400 British jobs. The first five contracts to be awarded for services that will support and maintain UK HM Naval Bases equipment and capabilities. This will include engineering and maintenance services (Hard Facilities Management), management of warehouses and distribution, accommodation, catering and recreational facilities such as gyms and football pitches (Soft Facilities Management).

At HMNB Portsmouth:

£365m to BAE Systems and KBR for Hard Facilities Management
£54m to Sodexo for Soft Facilities Management
£37m to Kuehne & Nagel Limited for Warehousing and Distribution

At HMNB Clyde:

£67m to ESS for Soft Facilities Management
£16m to Babcock for Warehousing and Distribution

The contracts will support the Royal Navy’s capabilities, including the new aircraft carriers and submarines, and will deliver improved availability, resilience and certainty of delivery.

The FMSP ensures that Royal Navy personnel benefit from enhanced services and facilities whilst on land or at sea.

FMSP is made up of 11 contracts, replacing the Maritime Support Delivery Framework and Submarine Deep Maintenance Period contracts. All other contract announcements will be made in due course.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)v

25 Mar 21. Playing both sides: Will Saudi-Greek drills impact ties with Turkey?

The Saudi military has had a busy March, conducting eight exercises involving simulated attacks on oil facilities and interoperability drills with other nations. Observers say the reason for the kingdom’s activity of late is twofold: strengthen geopolitical relations and prepare for asymmetric threats.

But as Saudi Arabia drills alongside its neighbors, the country may have to deal with Mediterranean rivals Turkey and Greece.

Tension between Greece and Turkey flared last year over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean, leading to a military buildup in the area that featured warships from the two countries facing off.

However, in a sign that relations might improve, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said March 17 that his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, is set to visit Turkey on April 14. The announcement came after senior Turkish and Greek diplomats held exploratory talks in Athens — part of a series of such meetings designed to build trust between the neighboring countries.

“When it comes to cooperation with other states like Sudan and Greece, Saudi Arabia is actively exploring how to strengthen bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with regional states that share similar concerns about Turkey flexing its muscles in the Mediterranean and the Red sea. It is all these states’ interests to try to cooperate in the maritime domain,” said Aram Nerguizian, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Nerguizian also said the Saudi exercises should be viewed in the context of the kingdom facing the threats of irregular warfare and drone attacks, such as terrorist groups and the Sept. 14, 2019, attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities.

“Increased cooperation with countries like the United States, France and neighboring [United Arab Emirates] fits within the context of addressing both conventional challenges tied to the readiness of Saudi forces and, in the larger context, of trying to adapt tactics and cooperation with allies to deal with an increasing number of irregular threats,” he told Defense News.

The Saudi and French navies joined forces March 10 for White Shark 21 to enhance security cooperation in the region. And the Saudi and Sudanese navies kicked off Al-Fulk 4 on March 21 at King Faisal Naval Base, where the two services practiced ship inspections, fighting in urban areas and in buildings, and combat patrols. They also tested their primary and secondary weaponry skills, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency. Days later, on March 23, Saudi Arabia’s Western Fleet participated in Red Sea drills with its Indonesian counterpart.

As practice against attacks on oil facilities, the Royal Saudi Navy conducted a joint military drill with domestic units, including the Interior Ministry’s Eastern Province Border Guards, the Presidency of State Security, as well as the Energy Ministry represented by Saudi Aramco and the Aramco Gulf Operations Company.

For its part, the Royal Saudi Air Force carried out a joint military exercise with the U.S. Air Force to raise the level of joint combat readiness and boost cooperation. The Royal Saudi Air Force also brought its F-15s to the UAE for the Desert Flag exercise. Highlighting the growing relationship between Greece and Saudi Arabia, Falcon Eye 1 featured the countries’ air forces performing sorties for offensive and defensive counteroperations drills.

U.S. and Saudi land forces also gathered in the kingdom for Falcon Claws 3, a joint exercise aimed at strengthening military relations, exchanging expertise and concepts, and improving combat readiness to face external threats.

In addition, beginning on March 27, the Royal Saudi Air Force and Pakistan Air Force will take part in a two-week air exercise.

Abdullah Al Junaid, a Bahraini strategic expert and political researcher, anticipates an increase in military drills between European and Middle Eastern states, citing security and stability in the Mediterranean basin as critical to that of the entire Middle East. Regional states also want to ensure safety of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, he added.

“Military exercises in all their forms come within the framework of raising the efficiency and readiness of all branches of the Saudi Armed Forces, and the security and safety of navigation in the Arabian Gulf comes on top of priorities for all Arab Gulf states. And the programs to develop the Eastern Fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy confirm the growing regional role in securing navigation not only in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, but this concept will expand in the future to include the Arabian Sea, within an imperative strategy — security of the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.”

Where does Turkey come in?

Earlier this month, two Saudi Arabian manufacturers announced they will co-produce the Karayel-SU drone under license from the Turkish company Vestel Savunma. While the industrial cooperation is a good sign for ties between Turkey and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will the Saudi-Greek drills harm that relationship?

Turkish defense analyst Calgar Kurc doesn’t think so. Turkey’s show of force in the region seems to have resulted in the emergence of a counter group, he said, and the country wants to put an end to the resulting isolation.

as it heads west from Antalya into the Mediterranean Sea. (Turkish Defense Ministry via AP)

“The KSA-Greece drills show KSA’s support for Greece’s regional policies, which are counter to Turkish interest. Turkey has realized that the military show of force is not enough in the Eastern Mediterranean without support from the important actors in the region,” Kurc told Defense News. “I think we are observing a shift in Turkey’s behavior in the region. Turkey’s priority now is to end its isolation by repairing the damaged relations. This is what we are seeing with Turkey’s rapprochement with Egypt and KSA. At this point, the drills would not have a significant effect on the process because the priority is to mend the relations.”

However, he acknowledged, Saudi Arabia and Turkey still have much to resolve. “There are some inherent sources of competition between Turkey and KSA. Aligning KSA and Turkey’s interest in the East Med seems difficult at this point.”

Additionally, industrial cooperation still has a ways to go, he noted.

“Deepening the defense-industrial cooperation would depend on whether Turkey and KSA could resolve their deep-running disagreements in the region. Furthermore, KSA has many potential suppliers who would be willing to cooperate with Saudi defense companies. The competition would be tough for Turkey,” Kurc said. “The issue could become more complicated as Turkish companies increasingly have difficulties in reaching Western technologies, [which prevents sales] to third countries.”

Turkey and the West (particularly the United States) have been butting heads over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. Until that issue is resolved, it appears Turkey’s planned sale of T129 Atak helicopters to Pakistan — which is already delayed — won’t occur. Because American technology is part of the aircraft’s design, the Turkish company selling the helicopters must first secure U.S. export licenses before delivery can take place.

Saudi Arabia is an economic and military powerhouse in the region, Al Junaid noted, “and it is natural that it aspires to growing relations with countries within its geopolitical space.”

“Turkey and Greece each have their own place within the Saudi strategic vision. It is a mistake to assume that Saudi relations are formed outside the framework of its responsibility, as it is the central state in the Arab world, and other countries must deal with it on that basis,” he said of the seemingly contradictory relationships the kingdom has with Greece and Turkey.

Added Nerguizian: “[Saudi Arabia’s] overtures tied to Turkey and cooperation on drones do not appear — at least for the time being — to be part of a larger strategy.”

He said Greece is left to navigate these ambiguous policies if it wants to further solidify cooperation with Saudi Arabia, in spite of the kingdom’s ties to Turkey. (Source: Defense News)

25 Mar 21. UK sanctions major military business interests in further measures against Myanmar military regime. The Foreign Secretary announces UK sanctions against military-owned conglomerate Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced further measures targeting the Myanmar regime today (Thursday 25 March), sanctioning military-owned conglomerate Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd for its involvement in serious human rights violations against the Rohingya and its association with senior military figures.

Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) is a military conglomerate owned by parts of the armed forces, and current and former military officers. Designating the entity under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime will also prohibit funds being made available to any subsidiaries “owned or controlled” by MEHL.

The designation is in response to evidence that MEHL contributed funds to support the country’s armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, in their campaign on ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya in 2017, having reasonable cause to suspect that the funds would or may contribute to the serious human rights violations committed, and that MEHL is associated with the Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief.

The UK is announcing this action alongside the United States, who are also imposing sanctions on MEHL.

Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said, “Today’s sanctions target the military’s financial interests to help drain the sources of finance for their campaigns of repression against civilians. The UK has been at the forefront of a strong, co-ordinated international response to situation in Myanmar. In March, the UK secured a Presidential Statement at the UN Security Council condemning violence by the regime against peaceful protestors, and called for respect of Myanmar’s democratic transition and the release of all those detained arbitrarily.”

This followed 2 UK-led statements by G7 Foreign Ministers(condemning the coup in Myamar and violence in Myanmar) and a statement at the UN Security Council in February.

These new sanctions follow last month’s designation of nine individuals from Myanmar’s military. Those sanctions focused on those directly responsible for human rights violations committed by the police and military during the coup in Myanmar, as well as the State Administration Council, which was set up following the coup to exercise the functions of state.

In conjunction with the work on sanctions, the UK has temporarily suspended all promotion of trade with Myanmar while we work with British businesses and civil society to reshape our approach to trade. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

24 Mar 21. UK Defence to invest £2bn in next stage of UK combat air system.

Defence Minister Jeremy Quin has warned that the ‘freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted’ as threat picture changes in RUSI speech

More than £2bn announced for world leading future combat air system Tempest to keep UK and allies safe
The programme has already created more than 1,800 new science and technology jobs in over 300 companies nationwide

Defence Minister Jeremy Quin has outlined how more than £2bn of investment in the Tempest programme will power the next phase to build a world-leading new combat air system in a keynote speech at RUSI today.

The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper set out the vital importance of the programme to global security and UK prosperity, which is why the UK will invest over the next four years to move into the next phase to design and deliver the next-generation system.

With strong global alliances and a world-class industrial base, the UK is stepping forward and driving international partnerships with Italy and Sweden. The work will sustain and support a sector which already generates £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 people across all four corners of the UK.

The sector and the broader UK defence industry is set to be boosted by the new Defence Industrial and Security Strategy, unveiled yesterday, which will ensure that the UK retains a competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industry.

Speaking at RUSI’s Combat Air Power conference, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said, “As our recently published Integrated Review underlined, technology and the threats we are facing have moved on. In the intervening decades, the likes of Russia and China have studied our strengths in the air and begun developing the capabilities to not only counter but surpass us. If we fail to outmatch these targets and they continue at this pace, we could find ourselves locked out of the skies. The freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted. We have launched the next phase of our programme to design and deliver Tempest and I am proud to say that, over the next four years, we will invest more than £2bn as Government into a world-leading future combat air system to keep us and our allies safe alongside us, leveraging additional investment from our first rate international and industrial partners.”

In his speech, the Minister will outline how the West has had full freedom of manoeuvre in the air since the first Gulf War in 1991, which marked a shift in focus towards mainly counter insurgency operations. He will go on to explain how this assumption can no longer be made, highlighting that advanced surface-to-air missiles and electronic attack systems developed by Russia have been used in Syria, whilst China has been developing and fielding innovative systems at an ever-faster rate. The UK is developing Tempest with the intensifying threat picture in mind, ensuring it has a system able to keep the country and its allies safe for the rest of the century.

The MOD’s Director of Future Combat Air, Richard Berthon, said, “Combat Air is vital to the protection of the UK and our contribution to global security. The Integrated Review shows the UK’s commitment to staying at the cutting edge of future Combat Air technologies. We are working closely with industry and international partners to launch the next phase of delivering the Tempest concept. This is an exciting milestone as we seize the opportunities created by digital design and delivery to revolutionise combat air delivery and preserve our operational advantage for decades to come.”

The elements of Tempest will connect and combine to provide a battle-winning combat air system for the rest of the 21st century. A core aircraft will likely form one element of a network of capabilities which could include long-range weapons, space-based sensors and supporting uncrewed aircraft.

The Minister will stress the importance of software as well as hardware in delivering the system, highlighting how the department is developing ‘PYRAMID’, an open mission system architecture to ensure software can be updated more rapidly. He will also set the challenge to ‘digitise’ the industry, explaining how using a digital environment can slash costs and time to a game-changing extent.

The UK is now launching the concept and assessment phase to design and deliver Tempest with its partners – this will accelerate analysis and set out how to deliver the project. The programme is targeting Initial Operating Capability from 2035 so that, over time, the system can replace Typhoon as it reaches the end of its service life. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

24 Mar 21. Minister for Defence Procurement’s speech at the RUSI Combat Air Power Conference. The Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, gave the keynote speech at the RUSI Combat Air Power conference outlining £2bn investment in the UK’s Combat Air System.

2021 marks 30 years since the end of the first Gulf War. For those of us watching on our TV screens it remains the defining image of UK air power in action. We watched as our strike fighters, in tandem with our allies, gave a terrifying demonstration of precision and power. In barely six weeks the RAF had flown thousands of sorties, achieved total dominance of the skies over the Gulf and drove out Sadaam’s forces and liberated Kuwait.

But, as our recently published Integrated Review underlined, technology and the threats we are facing have moved on. In the intervening decades, the likes of Russia and China have studied our strengths in the air and begun developing the capabilities to not only counter but surpass us.

So, we’ve witnessed Russia deploy advanced systems and develop their Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2AD) capabilities, from surface-to-air missiles to electronic attack.

We’ve seen China build multiple highly effective systems that challenge Western warfighting. Producing J-20 fifth generation fighters, Y-20 heavy transport aircraft, armed stealth UAVs, not to mention the world’s most modern surface to air missiles.

And both countries are now exporting advanced air technologies to many North African, Middle Eastern and Asian nations. Russia has sold S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and China are selling rapidly upgradeable software-enabled radars.

Even a cursory examination of geopolitical events reveals the battlefield has changed dramatically. Iran have used drone swarms. The Houthi’s have used anti-aircraft missiles. And all forces, whether forward deployed or on the home front, are conscious of the risk of discovery by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). That’s just what’s in store us today. More disturbing are the threats coming down the track.

By 2040 we imagine our air fleets will need to operate in highly contested environments where our enemies can disguise all traces of their approach. An adversary with high-end systems who can draw on Artificial Intelligence to fuse data to pinpoint their targets in an instant with minute precision. An adversary who can target us with a range of surface-to-air and hypersonic missiles that have greater manoeuvrability, greater lethality and a greater range than ever before.

And the danger is as likely to come from space as it is from cyber space. Nor should we expect it to be solely directed against the military but against our logisticians, our suppliers, our information specialists.

If we fail to outmatch these targets and they continue at this pace, we could find ourselves locked out of the skies. The freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted. We have to preserve our freedom to protect ourselves and cannot accept large parts of the world becoming potentially out of bounds.

But to safeguard our skies, highly capable threats need highly capable systems to counter them. So how should we respond? For your answer, I refer you simply to our recently published Integrated Review and the Command Paper. I don’t doubt those tuning in will already know these important documents off by heart. So, let me simply highlight some salient details.

We have launched the next phase of our programme to design and deliver Tempest and I am proud to say that, over the next four years, we will invest more than £2bn as Government into a world-leading future combat air system to keep us and our allies safe alongside us, leveraging additional investment from our first rate international and industrial partners.

For me, Tempest is about three things:

First, it’s about capability. In the past we put platforms first. But Tempest is much more than just a jet. This is a sixth-generation system.

A system with a virtual brain that can embrace artificial intelligence, deep learning, novel sensors and communications technologies. A system that can gather, process and exploit magnitudes more data than today. A system able to rapidly and seamlessly connect operations and share information not just in the air, on land and over the sea but in space and the cyber sphere.

This is about a system that can tap into a network of capabilities including long-range weapons, space-based sensors and directed energy and high-speed weapons. It is a system built with the open architecture that allows for constant upgrades.

And over the next five years we will be testing out a suite of new, novel technologies to turn concept into reality.

From Combat Cloud Architecture that can master a mass of data to outthink an enemy, to an uncrewed aerial aide which can fly ahead of, alongside, or on its own to lend our future fighter jet a hand.

Our £30m contract to design and manufacture the prototype for an uncrewed fighter aircraft, known as Mosquito, is supporting more than 100 jobs in Belfast. In 2023 we will be looking to conduct a flight-test programme for the demonstrator.

And it’s not just the hardware but the software that will make a difference. We are developing an open mission system architecture, known as PYRAMID, to ensure software can be rapidly adapted to meet technological advances and evolving threats while saving time and money.

We are targeting this system coming online from 2035. Over time, it will replace the Typhoon as it reaches the end of its service life.

Secondly, Tempest is about ensuring we have the industrial capability of the future.

Our combat air sector is already the envy of the world. It generates £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 workers across the four nations of the UK.

But, at a time when UK civil aerospace industry is having to adapt to the difficult challenges created by COVID-19, we are now creating an unprecedented opportunity.

The chance for the biggest names in the aerospace business to come together with our brilliant SMEs and universities to develop a sixth-generation combat air enterprise. The chance to create more jobs and develop future skills. And the chance to spread prosperity the length and breadth of the UK. The very embodiment of this Government’s desire to level up.

This is a programme benefitting over 300 companies nationwide which has already given more than 1,800 of our brightest and best the chance to shine with STEM apprenticeships. And through events, scholarships and apprenticeship schemes, we’re engaging, supporting and funding what we’re calling “the Tempest generation”.

This is a programme that has spawned a growing aviation eco-system comprising multiple contracts with companies and academia.

We know that, in the past few decades, despite our successes, the Western way of procurement has not kept pace with our adversaries. So, our challenge will be to accelerate innovation and, once again, be pioneers in aviation.

‘Digitising’ the industry is part of that challenge. BAE’s ‘Factory of the Future’ in Warton is already highlighting how digital twinning could contribute to the design and manufacture of Tempest systems.

By virtually designing a digital version of a physical aircraft, they’ve been able to use their high-performance computers to put it through its paces and work out how it performs. Getting this right will slash costs and testing time to a game-changing extent. This is transformational.

But I have no doubt the brilliant brains of scientists and engineers across the country have what it takes. They have already achieved a world first – an electrical embedded starter generator able to provide a future fighter aircraft with unprecedented levels of electrical power and thermal load.

There’s a third and final aspect to Tempest that I wish to highlight today

It is not merely about strengthening our industry but bolstering our international ties.

This programme gives us a chance to work with like-minded allies to share technology, experience and R&D costs. To enhance our understanding and interoperability. And to build something that is world beating.

We’ve already made significant progress with our partners Sweden and Italy. Partners who bring credible industries and great strength-in-depth design, manufacture and sensor technologies.

And we’re now exploring the important corporate opportunities with Japan.

Each partner will bring a host of benefits and expertise to the table.

I’ve already touched on ‘digitising’ the industry – Saab, the industry lead for our partner Sweden, have done some great work in this field. Through digital testing of their Gripen-E, they have drastically reduced the hours and cost it would have taken to test a physical system; they’re now calling it the world’s most cost-effective fighter jet. I’m sure we’ll be looking to learn a lot from them about the huge benefits that can be delivered by this kind of digital simulation.

Combine the technical experience of Sweden with our long-standing Combat Air partnership with Italy which has gone from strength-to-strength with Eurofighter and F-35, and potentially the world-leading manufacturing technologies being developed by Japan, on top of the world-beating qualities that I have explained the UK has to offer, and that really is a winning formula.

And we’re open to other partners coming on board

Thirty years ago, the UK and its western allies appeared unchallenged in the air domain. Today our adversaries have caught up. But a major national and international endeavour is now underway.

Working with industry and with our international allies, we are aiming high. A state-of-the-art system fit for tomorrow’s world. A system that matches our ambition to invest in high-tech skills, jobs and businesses. And a system that will ensure, decades from now, whenever the next conflict arises, we will stay in control of the air, winning the air-fight and protecting our peace and prosperity for generations to come. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. Germany shelves new anti-missile weapon and turns to drone defense. The German Defence Ministry has shelved plans for a next-generation air defense system, instead investing in counter-drone technology and upgrades to the country’s aging Patriot fleet.

The announcement on Tuesday comes after months of studying options between the costly Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem, or TLVS, aimed at destroying sophisticated missiles and aircraft, and cheaper weapons for intercepting enemy drones.

Ministry officials told lawmakers they plan to begin modernizing the Patriot missile defense inventory starting in 2023 to keep the system usable through 2030. The decision amounts to a win for manufacturer Raytheon Technologies, which had feared losing the preeminence of its global cash cow over a novel system developed by a major European country.

In a second step, officials in Berlin want to field a new defensive system against short-range threats, eventually replacing the “old and qualitatively and quantitatively insufficient” Ozelot fleet, according to a ministry statement. That project has the potential to spark Europe-wide cooperation, officials said, pointing to the Dutch-German Apollo program, under which both nations have integrated a portion of their air-defense formations.

Joint acquisitions with other European Union and NATO partners toward a “European drone and air-defense” system could be in the offing, the statement added.

The steps outlined on Tuesday amount to a mere proposal for German lawmakers, as there is no money programmed in Germany’s midterm budget for major air defense investments.

The odds are diminishing for a more sophisticated German defense system against hypersonic missiles, such as those developed by Russia, anytime soon. That is because annual defense budget requirements are set to exceed government spending plans with quickening speed in the coming years.

Still, the German government has yet to formally declare TLVS canceled, even though vendor MBDA Deutschland — the local partner of main contractor Lockheed Martin — has begun planning its business posture without it.

“At the moment, there is no decision yet about where things are going,” a German Defence Ministry spokeswoman told Defense News. “We’ll first have to wait for clarity on the budget.”

Notably, the proposed Patriot upgrades will not introduce significant new capabilities, including 360-degree coverage in threat interception, according to the spokeswoman. That feature was a major driver in the push for TLVS because it meant deployments would have a much lower footprint and manning requirement than Patriot batteries, which can only fire interceptors in one direction.

The 360-degree requirement remains on the books, the spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin officials “intend to discuss with the customer in the next weeks how TLVS capabilities can contribute to the Bundeswehr’s future design of ground-based air defense,” a company spokesman wrote in an emailed statement.

The company’s doggedness may stem from a short mention of “a TLVS” in the Finance Ministry’s latest budget proposal, dated March 22. That document lists the system as part of a collection of programs involving international obligations about which there is governmentwide agreement for funding, at least in principle. (Source: Defense News)

23 Mar 21. Royal Navy to spend £50m on Marines ‘mothership’ that will see troops constantly ready for action.

The strike ship, which can hold up to 400 people, will see more troops deployed around the world to ‘respond rapidly to crises’

Under plans released on Monday in the Defence Review, one of the three Bay-class logistic support vessels will be converted to act as an “agile and lethal” strike ship.

An additional £40m will be spent on developing the Future Commando Force to make it “ready to strike from the sea”.

Together, the plans will see more Royal Marines deploying around the world for long periods to “respond rapidly to crises… operate alongside our allies and partners [and] counter state threats”.

The Bay-class ship, which carry a standard load of around 400 troops but can take up to 700 in an emergency, will be fitted out with secure communications and converted to operate airborne, surface and underwater drones.

Under the Royal Navy Transformation plans the vessel, crewed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the civilian adjunct to the Royal Navy, will act as a command and control mothership for Royal Marines operations.

Airborne drones, such as the Anduril Ghost helicopter, will be used to spy on the enemy. In trials with 40 Commando, troops said it was “built for soldiering”.

“It’s always searching, it’s constantly looking. This isn’t just a drone with a camera, it’s Artificial Intelligence.”

The in-service Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boat will be converted to a drone and carry cameras, acoustic sensors and weapons, if current trials with the Royal Navy are successful.

The new strike ship may also operate the Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV), a nine-tonne mini-submarine capable of surveillance missions. The XLUUV can dive to over 300m and carry weapons and intelligence sensors.

The defence white paper, the Ministry of Defence’s contribution to the Government’s Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, saw military chiefs sacrificing old equipment to invest in newer capabilities.

However, the decision to keep both 20,000 tonne amphibious assault ships – HMS Albion and Bulwark, due to retire later this decade – and augment them with a new global strike ship has been seen as a “mandate to change,” by naval chiefs.

The three Bay-class amphibious ships can offload embarked troops and armoured vehicles using two landing craft from an internal dock capable of being flooded. Helicopters, including the heavy-lift Chinooks, can land on the deck craft.

With an 8,000 nautical mile range, the ships are highly versatile and can operate in extremely rough weather all around the world.

H I Sutton, a submarine specialist, told The Telegraph the Saviz, although basic, had proved valuable.

“Iran has now converted two more. Their largest one is more akin to the US Navy’s Expeditionary Mobile Base making it much larger than the British ship,” he said.

Brigadier Dan Cheeseman, the Royal Navy’s chief technology officer, said artificial intelligence and autonomous surveillance systems “are battle winning technologies for our Future Commando Force”. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

23 Mar 21. Warship U-turn set to boost British shipbuilding. Government reverses course on new supply ships for Navy but fears persist that the work will still go abroad. British shipbuilding is set for a “renaissance” following a government U-turn on how it classifies warships. Unveiling the changes in the Commons on Tuesday, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the new policy will make clear the option to “choose to procure warships of any description here in the UK”.

The statement was a reference to building a new class of “fleet solid support” (FSS) ships to provide the Royal Navy with supplies such as ammunition and food, allowing the fleet to stay at sea for longer.

Previously, EU procurement rules allowed the Government to restrict bids for warships to UK companies, but the Government had refused to class some Royal Navy support ships as warships.

Unions have argued that constructing the £1.5bn contract the three new 40,000-tonne vessels is vital to sustaining Britain’s shipbuilding industry until the next major round of naval contracts.

Mr Quin said the reforms marked a “step change” in the Government’s approach to the defence and security industrial sectors.

He said: “It will help retain onshore, critical industries for our national security and our future. It will help us develop advanced skills and capabilities.

“And with defence procurement benefitting every part of our Union it will help galvanise our levelling up agenda.”

Documents detailing the new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy said decisions on how the Ministry of Defence contracts work for new classes of ships will be made “on a case-by-case basis”.

Also taken into account will be that a “regular drumbeat of design and manufacturing work is needed to maintain the industrial capabilities”, along with “social impact”, such as how many jobs they create or how they reinforce the UK’s supply chain.

An all-British consortium dubbed “Team UK” comprising BAE Systems, Babcock, Cammell Laird and Rolls-Royce, is understood to be one of two parties bidding for contracts.

The other is “Team Resolute”, consisting of British maritime consultancy BMT, Harland & Wolff, which is owned by Infrastrata which recently acquired Appledore, along with Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia.

Shipbuilding unions warned that much of the value of the FSS contract could still go abroad if the MoD seeks the cheapest option without considering wider economic impacts.

Ian Waddell, head of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, said: “The MoD is completely keeping its options open on using competition, including internationally, as the procurement model for auxiliary ships and potentially now for warships, which is actually a step backwards.”

He claimed the approach will weaken Britain’s shipbuilding sector as it “increases, rather than removes uncertainty, as each procurement will be decided on a case-by-case basis”. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

23 Mar 21. UK Warfighting Experimentation Force unveiled. The British Army is introducing a pioneering warfighting experimentation Battlegroup.

Prototype warfighting and experimentation Battlegroup being established
The force will hone skills to tackle the latest hybrid and conventional threats.

Soldiers will have their future warfighting skills sharpened and developed further by the establishment of the new dedicated force, based on an infantry battalion but with elements from across the army, designed to fight prototype warfare at the leading edge of defence.

In setting a bold ambition for the future, the experimentation Battlegroup will pit soldiers, equipment and tactics against the very latest hybrid and conventional threats posed by terrorist, proxy and state adversaries.

Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey said, “With every great advance in technology comes an advance in the way we fight. The British Army has a proud tradition of experimenting and innovating with new technologies during each of the previous industrial revolutions so as we enter this new age of big data, automation and artificial intelligence, it’s important that the new Experimental Battlegroup will be able to build on that tradition and integrate these latest advances into our force structures, equipment requirements and tactics.

Supercharging experimentation, the force will lead in trialling cutting-edge technology and its integration into the way we fight; testing the force to its limits, driving innovation and ensuring that the army’s structures, equipment and way of fighting evolve in line with the threats.

This will push forces to their limits to drive innovation to the core of British Army structures and future-proof the battlefield for British personnel.

The Battlegroup draws on the heritage of previous experimental units during earlier industrial revolutions such as the Experimental Corps of Riflemen in the Napoleonic Campaign who introduced rifles, sharpshooting and skirmishing tactics for the first time and the Experimental Mechanised Force formed in 1927 to investigate and develop the techniques and equipment required for armoured warfare.”

This announcement follows the publication of the Integrated Review earlier this week. The Integrated Review is the most comprehensive articulation of a defence, foreign and national security approach published by a British Government in decades.

As part of the Integrated Review, the army will modernise to form a more agile and integrated force able to exploit Defence’s network across the globe delivering vital capabilities in the most-contested environments.

The Defence Command Paper published on 22 March and outlines further details on how defence will adapt and modernise to meet future threats.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. British Army announces Special Ops Army Ranger Regiment.

The British Army is establishing a special operations Brigade, the core of which will be four battalions of the new Ranger Regiment.

British Army unveils new special operations Ranger Regiment
The Rangers will operate in high-threat environments

Over the next four years a share of £120m will be invested into the unit, enabling it to undertake roles traditionally carried out by Special Forces. They can be expected to be involved in collective deterrence such as training, advising, enabling and accompanying partner forces.

Alongside special operations, a further Brigade will be established. The Security Force Assistance Brigade to provide guidance and training to allied partner nations and draw expertise form across the army.

Elements of each Brigade will be routinely deployed across the globe to assist partner nations in delivering defence and security.

The Ranger Regiment seeded from four Infantry Battalions and will be at the core of our frontline expeditionary posture.

In addition to the Rangers, the Security Force Assistance Brigade will provide guidance and training to allied and partner nations. It will contain specialised infantry units with the ability to draw personnel and expertise from across the Army.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said, “The best way to prevent conflict and deter our adversaries is to work alongside partners to strengthen their security and resilience. These Ranger battalions will be at the vanguard at a more active and engaged armed forces.

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith said, “The Army Special Operations Brigade is designed to operate alongside both regular and irregular partners and proxies in high-threat and hostile environments.”

Consisting of four specialist battalions, the Army Ranger Regiment will be the vanguard of the Army’s global footprint.

As part of the Integrated Review, the army will modernise to form a more agile and integrated force able to exploit defence’s network across the globe delivering vital capabilities in the most-contested environments.

The Defence Command Paper was published on 22 March and outlines further details on how defence will adapt and modernise to meet future threats.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. Scottish Secretary speech on defence in Scotland. Alister Jack delivered a speech at RAF Lossiemouth.

It’s a privilege to be here, at this crucial RAF base from where aircraft and crews are poised 24/7, 365 days a year, to scramble and intercept potential threats to UK airspace.

And from where the United Kingdom contributes to NATO Air Policing missions, having deployed to Iceland, Estonia, Romania and Lithuania in recent times. A strength and a tradition that all of us in Scotland should be rightly proud of. I thank you all for all you do.

The last eight days have been the biggest in generations for the defence sector with the publication of the Integrated Review.

And that was followed swiftly by yesterday’s launch of the Defence Command Paper.

This paper outlined clear and credible plans as to how we will modernise and adapt our Armed Forces, supported by additional UK Government investment of £24bn over the next four years.

And then today will see the release of the new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, which details the framework through which we will deliver on these plans working with industry, academia and our global partners.

This will see Scotland benefit from increased investment, bringing skilled jobs in traditional areas such as shipbuilding, and also in rapidly developing areas such as cyber and space.

UK defence, and Scotland, enjoy a special two-way relationship. The UK brings key security and economic benefits to Scotland while Scottish military and civilian personnel at establishments across the nation provide capabilities that are vital to the UK and our NATO allies.

Defence makes a significant economic contribution to Scotland with 15,000 regular and reserve armed forces personnel, supported by 4,000 MOD civilians.

And defence procurement contracts support over 12,000 private sector jobs in Scotland.

Bases such as this – home to brave service personnel and civilians, and state of the art kit such as Typhoon jets and submarine hunting aircraft – show that Scotland has a crucial role to play in the security of the UK and the world.

The significance of RAF Lossiemouth is clear, as it continues to expand and modernise as home to four front line Typhoon squadrons, Poseidon P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and the RAF’s new Wedgetail E-7 early warning aircraft.

The new MPA Strategic Facility is part of a £470m UK Government investment in infrastructure at this base.

So, let me talk a little more about the Integrated Review and why it is so important.

It differs from previous reviews in that it addresses our national security and international policy together.

It more strongly addresses the link between our domestic and international policy.

And it takes a thematic approach that brings together all the instruments of government behind overarching objectives.

The first responsibility of any government must be to protect its citizens.

And, in a changing world, together the United Kingdom must stay ahead of the evolving threats to our people, interests, and allies.

Alone, no one part of our Union can adequately protect its citizens from the new threats we face.

Nor can we prosper economically and socially in the way we can as a United Kingdom.

Together, all parts of the UK will take full advantage of the opportunities that lie before us.

The Integrated Review sets this out in four strategic areas.

Firstly, Sustaining strategic advantage through science and technology.

In short, this means that we will fortify and extend the position of the UK – and Scotland in particular – as a global science and technology superpower.

We will build our cyber strengths and capabilities in the frontiers of cyberspace, emerging technology, data, and space.

Crucially, the Integrated Review sets the ambition for the UK to be a meaningful player in space – using a mixture of sovereign capabilities and partnerships with our allies.

To achieve this we are developing the first national space strategy.

The UK space industry already generates an income of £14.8bn annually, with more satellites produced in Scotland than any country in Western Europe.

Scotland will remain at the heart of this national effort.

We will launch British satellites from Scotland by 2022 as part of the UK Space Agency’s programme to enable a UK-wide market for spaceflight services.

Secondly, Shaping the open international order of the future.

International competition and the effects of the global pandemic will make it ever more important for the UK to work to restore a spirit of greater international cooperation.

Our influence on the world stage is extensive through our role in the UN and the global trading system.

There are real benefits that our extensive diplomatic network brings us in nearly 270 places around the world.

Our ambition to play an increasingly active part on the world stage will be of huge benefit to Scotland.

For example, just recently it was announced that the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s site in East Kilbride will increase in size by a further 500 jobs taking the total number to 1,500 by 2025.

Thirdly, Strengthening security and defence at home and overseas.

The threats we face are changing rapidly and we need to adapt and excel in new areas of defence to ensure the nations of the UK are safe and can prosper.

Our selfless servicemen and women are, of course, hugely important and will remain so.

As well as a quick reaction airbase, Scotland’s proximity to the North Atlantic means we are also home to a strong naval presence.

Her Majesty’s Naval Base on the Clyde plays a vital role in defending us and our NATO allies.

It is home to the Royal Navy nuclear submarines and continues to receive £1.5bn worth of infrastructure investment.

As the second largest single-site employer in Scotland it currently provides 6,800 jobs and will grow to 8,200 jobs in future.

The importance of this site cannot be over-estimated and the Integrated Review highlights the new risks posed by the nuclear ambitions of some states.

In a context in which nuclear-armed states are prepared to flout international norms of behaviour, we must protect ourselves, and our allies, by the continued operation of a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent based on continuous at sea presence.

But a country’s security can no longer be measured by the number of troops or weapons they have.

The threats of the 21st Century are different.

We need to be prepared for high-tech warfighting and to defend ourselves from cyber-attacks and disinformation.

We will play our part in this within a strong NATO.

Fourthly, Building resilience at home and overseas.

We will improve our own ability, and those of our allies, to anticipate, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from risks.

The pandemic has shown us how vital this endeavour is and just how connected global threats can be.

Our fantastic scientists have made a global impact. We will accelerate vaccine distribution globally as the fastest route to recovery from the Covid crisis, and strengthen UK and global preparedness for future pandemics.

The British military’s work to support Covid testing and vaccinations in Scotland is testament to this and the power of the Union to keep people safe.

The Integrated Review also makes tackling climate change and biodiversity loss the UK’s foremost international priority.

Through the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November, and beyond, our leadership will be vital.

To conclude Ladies and Gentlemen, In the Integrated Review the Prime Minister states:

Our Union will be more secure and prosperous, with wealth and opportunity shared more equitably across its regions bound by shared values and interests, we will stand stronger together on the international stage.

And I could not agree more.

Together, the Integrated Review, the defence Command Paper and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy demonstrate powerfully how important defence is to Scotland – and how important Scotland is to the defence of the UK and, indeed, our NATO allies.

We cannot take our security for granted, but by working together in a strong Union, we can ensure a safe, prosperous future for the UK. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. NATO Foreign Ministerial Statement. Issued by the NATO Foreign Ministers Brussels, 23rd-24th March 2021.

We are meeting in Brussels to reaffirm the enduring transatlantic bond between Europe and North America, with NATO at its heart. We are bound together by our shared democratic values, and by our adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. NATO is the foundation of our collective defence: together we reaffirm our solemn commitment to the Washington Treaty, including that an attack against one Ally shall be considered an attack against us all, as enshrined in Article 5.
NATO is the strongest alliance in history, guaranteeing the freedom of a billion people, the integrity of our territory, and the protection of our values. NATO is a defensive Alliance and poses no threat to any country. In response to a more dangerous and unpredictable security environment, we are considerably strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities, posture and resilience, underpinned by seven consecutive years of rising defence spending, more capable and ready forces, significant deployments in missions and operations, and deeper engagement with partners. We are making good progress on fairer transatlantic burden sharing; we welcome the efforts made by all Allies in Europe and North America that contribute to our indivisible security. We must and will do more.
NATO will continue to adapt. We face rising threats and systemic competition. Russia’s aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security; terrorism in all its forms and manifestations remains a persistent threat to us all. Assertive and authoritarian powers, and non-state actors, challenge the rules-based international order, including through hybrid and cyber threats, the malicious use of new technologies, as well as other asymmetric threats. The Covid-19 pandemic once again illustrates that we face constantly evolving challenges; we will continue to ensure our defence and operational effectiveness throughout this crisis. We pay tribute to all those who combat this pandemic in all our countries and around the world.
The transatlantic partnership remains the cornerstone of our collective defence, central to our political cohesion, and an essential pillar of the rules-based international order. The upcoming NATO Summit will open a new chapter in transatlantic relations and set the direction for the future of our Alliance to 2030 and beyond. In line with the decision by our Leaders in London in December 2019, we will further strengthen NATO’s political dimension, including consultation. We welcome the reflection process, including the recommendation to update NATO’s Strategic Concept. We will further reinforce NATO’s resilience, military strength and global outlook, connecting more closely with other nations and international organisations that share our goals. We will continue to stand together and to work together, to guarantee our security, prosperity, democracy and freedoms.

23 Mar 21. Defence ‘Builds Back Better’ with bold new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. Defence will accelerate the innovation and development of next-generation technology with an ambitious Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) – published today – coupled with a £6.6bn investment in research and development.

Announced by the Prime Minister in the Integrated Review, the multi billion pound R&D investment will bolster the UK’s place at the leading edge of science and technology, driving prosperity and generating thousands of highly skilled jobs across the country.

The Defence Command Paper published yesterday following the Integrated Review signals a pivot towards the technologies and industrial capability needed to deliver the integrated operating concept, digital backbone of our Armed Forces, cyber and space capabilities, novel weapons, and artificial intelligence which will all be underpinned by new testing and evaluation investment.

The Government’s ability to capitalise on these areas of investment will be supercharged by DSIS, which will modernise and streamline regulations to drive innovation and improvements in productivity and efficiency ensuring the UK expands its competitive, pioneering and world-class defence and security industries.

This initiative is essential if we are to succeed in our global role defined in the Integrated Review. This role requires our Armed Forces to deter and defeat the military threats of the future whilst remaining agile and adaptable to the rapidly changing face of warfare, conflict environments and global engagement.

Announcing the new strategy in the House of Commons, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said, “DSIS signals a step change in our approach to the Defence and Security industrial sectors.

It will help retain onshore, critical industries for our national security and our future. It will help us develop advanced skills and capabilities. It will help us realise the Prime Minister’s vision of the UK as a science superpower. And with Defence Procurement benefitting every part of our Union it will help galvanise our levelling up agenda.”

Building on the outcomes of the Integrated Review and Command Paper, the new strategy provides the framework for industry to achieve those ambitions. The strategy includes:

Increased transparency on our longer-term security priorities
Earlier engagement with industry on potential solutions to capability requirements
Reducing barriers to Small and Medium Enterprises
The development of new government-to-government commercial mechanisms to sell our great defence and security exports to friends and allies
Enhanced programme collaboration with NATO nations
More openness and joint working to provide firms with the confidence to invest in developing new technology, products and services
Greater efforts to promote innovation through initiatives like the Defence and Security Accelerator

In a move away from the policy of ‘global competition by default’, we will adopt a more strategic and nuanced approach in designing capabilities and acquisition strategies to ensure homegrown skills, enterprise and intellectual talents are fully harnessed. This will ensure investments in Defence benefit engineers, designers, factory workers, scientists and everyone else across the UK who contributes their critical skills to the defence and security of the UK.

This shift will allow us to decide the best acquisition and procurement of a military capability based on the technology required, our national security requirements and the prosperity benefits to the UK.

Paul Everitt, ADS Chief Executive said, “Industry has worked closely with Government to develop this strategy which lays the foundation for a defence and security industry that will have the confidence to invest in advanced capabilities needed by the UK Armed Forces and security services. Industry looks forward to working in partnership with Government on this new way forward. The greater flexibility provided by DSIS will enable the UK to develop and acquire innovative capabilities faster and more efficiently than ever before, while supporting skills and economic growth across the UK. The benefits of this approach have already been demonstrated by the Tempest programme to develop a world-leading new combat air system. The project has involved a sophisticated partnership with companies and strategic investment to develop technologies and advanced manufacturing ensuring the industry, and therefore our future force, remain world-class. The UK has a world-renowned combat air sector, which generates over £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 people, and this approach treats that as a strategic capability in its own right.”

Andrew Cowdery, Industry Co-Chair of the Defence Growth Partnership said, “The publication of the Defence and Security Industrial strategy outlines how industry can play our part in the security, growth and prosperity of the UK defence sector. The closer collaboration between Government and Industry will maximise opportunities for the global defence market to partner with international customers to deliver both innovative and competitive defence capability to our Armed Forces and the international market.”

Following the additional £24bn being invested in defence over the next four years, and the MOD’s commitment to spend over £85bn on equipment and support over the four years, this new strategy offers a real opportunity for UK industry to support thousands of high-quality jobs as we build back better from Covid-19 pandemic.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

BATTLESPACE Comment: The rhetoric to ‘buy British’ looks good but in reality, there will have to be wholesale changes in DE&S policy to ‘buy cheapest’ and also changes to SME accounting policy which limits the contract awards to SMEs if their balance sheets are not robust enough to support the Programme through its lifetime. In addition, as we will be demonstrating in a forthcoming feature, huge changes will need to be made in the treatment of Intellectual property (IP) and the ability of |SMEs to retain IP rights.

23 Mar 21. Armed Forces to be more active around the world to combat threats of the future. The UK will continue to adopt a forward presence around the world, ensuring the men and women of our Armed Forces are globally engaged, constantly campaigning and in lockstep with our Allies. As part of the major development to the UK’s Defence policy, detailed in the Command Paper, Defence in a Competitive Age, the UK’s military will increase its defence of Britain’s interests across multiple domains and in all corners of the globe.

At sea we will have more ships, submarines, sailors and Future Commando Force deployed on an enduring basis, to contribute to security, protect shipping lanes and uphold freedom of navigation.

This year’s Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo Pacific is just one example of this more confident, UK-led, highly technological, and internationally partnered effort to strengthen our alliances and national interests in a region critical to global peace and prosperity.

On land our world class Army will be spearheaded by a new special operations Ranger Regiment able to operate discreetly in high-risk environments and be rapidly deployable across the world.

Details released in the Command Paper also reveal new plans for persistent training for our Armed Forces globally which will reinforce UK’s strategic presence across the globe.

High profile defence activity this month alone demonstrates how the Armed Forces deter global threats; fresh strikes have been launched against Daesh in Iraq, a drugs bust conducted in the Northern Arabian Sea and naval operations with NATO Allies completed in the Baltic.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, “From striking Daesh terrorists in Iraq, disrupting drug shipments and deterring Russian aggression in the Baltics, our Armed Forces already reach where others cannot.

In the coming years, we will broaden the spectrum of this worldwide engagement even further. Across a vast global footprint, we will be constantly operating to deter our adversaries and reassure our friends, integrating with our Allies, and ready to fight should it be necessary.”

Future Commando Force

The Royal Navy will transform the Royal Marines into the Future Commando Force (FCF), marking an evolution from amphibious infantry held at readiness in the UK to a versatile Special Operations capable Commando force persistently forward deployed.

Receiving over £200m of direct investment across the next decade, the FCF will be optimised to conduct roles traditionally carried out by Special Forces to deliver specialist capacity building and maritime security operations, pre-empt and deter sub-threshold activity, and counter state threats.

HMS Trent

Later this year, Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent will for the first time operate from Gibraltar. From here she will be able to support NATO operations in the Mediterranean, work with our North African partners and support multinational counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. HMS Trent will be able to integrate with the French Navy through our Combined-Joint Expeditionary Force, now fully operational.

The Royal Navy already has ships forward deployed in the Caribbean, South Atlantic and Middle East. The Royal Navy will continue to enhance its forward presence with further deployments of Offshore Patrol Vessels in the future.

Royal Navy secures drugs bust

The benefits of our Armed Forces always being on the front foot beyond our borders has been demonstrated in recent weeks by Royal Navy warship HMS Montrose completing its third drugs bust in five weeks from its permanent presence in the Gulf.

On 12th March HMS Montrose, the Royal Navy’s first Forward Deployed Frigate, seized three tonnes of illicit drugs in the North Arabian Sea. The 10 hour operation seized 2800kg of hashish and 50kg of heroin, depriving criminal and terrorist networks of approximately £3.24m and restricting their ability to fund their nefarious activities.

Ranger Regiment

The British Army is establishing a special operations Brigade, the core of which will be four battalions of the new Ranger Regiment.

Elements of each Brigade will be routinely deployed across the globe to assist partner nations in delivering defence and security.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

22 Mar 21. Who are the winners and losers in Britain’s new defense review? British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has delivered on his promise: A new defense, security and foreign policy review released March 22 calls for cuts to the Army’s end strength and aging hardware as well as the creation of new military structures and the acquisition of high-tech capabilities.

By the time Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stood up in Parliament to announce the outcome of the review, the fate of several key capabilities had already been leaked by the government over several weeks as it promoted the virtues that a data- and intelligence-driven military could bring to competing with potential adversaries like Russia, particularly in gray zone warfare.

In the government’s review, the Ministry of Defence committed to buying more than the 48 F-35B fighter jets it has already ordered, but the timeline for securing more of the aircraft is vague.

The government also unveiled a major naval shipbuilding program that calls for a multi-role ocean surveillance ship designed to protect underwater communications cables from possible Russian interference.

But older, conventional hardware in the MoD’s inventory took a hit as the military cut programs to better afford a pivot toward high-tech acquisitions in the fields of space, cyber, unmanned vehicles and artificial intelligence, among other advanced capabilities.

The Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and the Hercules C-130J military transport aircraft fleets are both being axed, while Typhoon combat jets and Challenger 2 tanks are being reduced in numbers.

Some of the takeaways:

The Lockheed Martin UK program to update several hundred Warrior infantry fighting vehicles has been axed, before it even entered the manufacturing stage and a decade after development work began.
The government will speed up work on the Boxer eight-wheel drive armored vehicle to introduce it into service sooner than planned, with the platform to replace the Warrior.
Army personnel numbers are being cut by 10,000 to 72,500 by 2025 — the smallest it has been for about 200.
Space investments will include the £5bn (U.S. $7bn) Skynet 6 program to recapitalize satellite communication capabilities. And the government wants to spend an additional £1.4bn in the space domain over the next decade, including developing a U.K.-built intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite constellation.
Transformation of amphibious forces will include more than £50m to convert a Bay-class support ship to deliver a more lethal littoral strike capability. Force structure changes include the creation of self-sufficient brigade combat teams, boosting support of special forces with a rangers regiment, and the global deployment of security force assistance units to help stabilize nations and fight extremism.
The concept and assessment phase for a new Type 83 destroyer will get underway to begin replacing Type 45 destroyers in the late 2030s.
Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130J military transport aircraft, mainly used for special forces deployments, are to be taken out of service by 2023, ending an association between the British military and the tactical airlifter going back to 1967. The Airbus A400M will fill the gap.
Twenty-four early build Typhoon combats jets, known as Tranche 1, will be retired from service.
Nine older Chinook helicopters are to be withdrawn from service and replaced with an extended-range version.
More than £250m is to be spent over 10 years on the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System. In addition, the Army is spending more than £800m over the next decade on a new 155mm howitzer platform.
The Army is upgrading the Challenger 2 tank fleet at a cost of £1.3bn, but only 148 vehicles will be improved.
The Royal Navy is to retire early two aging Type 23 frigates. Mine countermeasures are also in line for the cutting block.

But it’s the cut in end strength that has caused controversy. The Army will see a new round of personnel reductions by around 10,000 to 72,500 by 2025. Retired Adm. Mike Mullians, who served as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told listeners on the BBC radio Monday morning that the cut in manpower will likely cause “huge concern “in Washington, particularly over Britain’s ability to sustain deployments.

That’s a concern other senior U.S. officials have voiced for years amid a shrink it British Army numbers.

Howard Wheeldon, an analyst at Wheeldon Strategic Advisory, said the cut would be seen as a big mistake in terms of U.S.-British defense relations.

“The Pentagon has continually warned the U.K. government that if you expect to retain your current level of credibility, do not allow troop numbers to get any smaller. But that is just what the MoD in its infinite wisdom has chosen to do,” Wheeldon said. “While our would-be enemies — the Russians and Chinese — are probably laughing, my big fear is that the Americans are shaking their heads with disgust.”

But that take hasn’t found unanimous support. The ability of the U.S. and Britain to exchange data is a more critical capability, according the retired Rear Adm. Alex Burton, who commanded British maritime forces and surface ships.

“The true risk to the U.K. and our relationship with our allies is that transformation doesn’t happen fast enough. Two more frigates or four more infantry regiments will not make us a better ally or provide an edge between success or failure,” said Burton, now a senior executive with data technology firm Rebellion Defense. “If we are unable to network with our allies, particularly the U.S., if we are unable to exploit data, algorithms and intelligence with our allies, we will become as relevant as sail in the age of steam. Most worryingly, it makes us irrelevant to our adversaries.”

Talking to Washington-based reporters on Monday, James Heappey, armed forces minister, pushed back on the idea the review would result in a loss of capacity to work with its largest partner.

“I can’t think of anything that we currently do with the United States that we wouldn’t be intending to continue doing,” Heappey said.

“Most obviously, our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan endure, so too our commitments to countering Daesh in Syria,” he added, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. “There continues to be shared purpose in pushing back Russian influence in the North Atlantic, and that remains undiminished. But actually what I see is a set of up arrows, I see a set of up arrows in the Pacific.”

One area that could strengthen ties between the U.S. and U.K., he noted, is the creation of a new British Army ranger regiment, one modeled on the U.S. Army’s Green Beret forces.

The review plans for £120m in investments over the next four years to equip that force, the start of which Heappey said should be “up and running” by Christmas.

The new unit “doesn’t just do training and advising of partner nations forces, but actually goes and trains, advises, assists and then accompanies them into non-permissive environments, which is exactly what the Green Berets are,” Heappey said. “It’s pretty likely that we’ll find Green Berets and Rangers working alongside each other in the same environments. Sub-Saharan Africa feels like the growing market. But actually there’s still plenty to be done in places like Iraq and Afghanistan as well.”

Is it all affordable?

Overall, the out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new approach has attracted criticism.

Politicians like parliamentary Defence Committee Chair Tobias Ellwood and former military chief Gen. David Richards have both decried the purchase of high-tech weapons at the expense of traditional conventional capabilities, which they argue are still needed to deter potential adversaries.

However, Burton thinks the government is heading in the right direction. “Information data and algorithms are going to be as critical as bullets, missiles and fuel in the next war. The review recognizes that,” he said.

“This is the most comprehensive and ambitious transformation of our armed forces in over a generation. Where it has been sophisticated is that it has laid out the aspirations and ambitions the U.K. has as a nation and capabilities we need to deliver on that,” he added. “Also, reading between the lines, the review has laid out an extraordinarily [paced] timeline of delivery, so I think defense comes out really well, but the hard work is about to begin.”

The details laying out the size and shape of the military follows last week’s publication of the first part of an integrated review across defense, security, foreign policy and international development aimed at setting out the country’s future policies. The first part of the review said Britain intends to pivot its global efforts toward the Asia-Pacific region and increase its nuclear weapons stockpile.

The review echoes the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which, amid fiscal problems, saw personnel numbers cut, maritime patrol aircraft and Harrier jump jets get axed, and armored vehicle numbers reduced.

While the defense budget remains significantly overcommitted — despite several attempts to address the shortfall — the MoD is attempting this new transformation from a better financial position.

“Where this review differs from earlier efforts is the MoD has the money — an extra £24bn over the next decade. That is a bigger increase than defense has had for a generation. I don’t think the excuse now can be that there isn’t enough money,” Burton said.

The Johnson government surprised analysts, politicians and others last November by pledging to provide an additional £16.5bn over the next four financial years to help fund the transformation effort. Together with an annual 0.5 percent real-term increase in the defense budget for the six years following 2024, the MoD is likely to get an injection of additional cash totaling £24bn over the next 10 years.

Some of that money will go toward plugging a financial black hole in the 10-year equipment program, which the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reported last week could be as large as £17.4bn — a figure disputed by the MoD, which put the figure at £7.3bn.

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

BATTLESPACE Comment: One of the biggest winners from the defence Review is RBSL the JV company between Rheinmetall and BAE Systems. It will gain orders

For a few more years supporting Warrior, 148 new turrets and the HAAIP for Challenger III and a good amount of Boxer work. WFEL will also benefit from increased Boxer work. It will be interesting to see the solution for the Boxer AFY turret solution. Will it be the Lithuanian variant using the Bushmaster or Oerlikon 30mm already in service with the Royal Navy of a CT40 version built by Lockheed Martin? The Challenger II announcement should flow with additional contracts for RBSL from Oman and Jordan to upgrade their fleets.

22 Mar 21. UK All In On FCAS Fighter In New Defense Plan.

“We’ve committed to 48, we’ll buy 48” F-35s, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say that number is still the target.

The UK’s new military modernization plan includes a proposed increase in the number of nuclear warheads, sets ambitious targets for new warships but is silent on the whether the country should buy more F-35s.

“We’ve committed to 48; we’ll buy 48,” UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, told reporters on a call this afternoon. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say if that is still the plan.

The new UK defense paper calls for a £2bn investment in the FCAS over the next four years, while the current F-35 buy wraps up in 2025. Germany’s Airbus and France’s Dassault are the primary contractors working on FCAS.

Overall, the new strategy would see the UK spend £85bn more on equipment over the next four years, while also adding more nuclear warheads to its inventory, capped at 260 warheads. That decision reverses the decade-old decision to reduce the stockpile to 180.

Part of the reason for capping the number of F-35s appears to be the pending arrival of the Future Combat Air System, a sixth-generation aircraft that’s the result of a collaboration between the UK, France, Germany and Spain. “We’ve invested heavily in our own Future Combat Air System,” Heappey said, “I think that there’s a discussion ongoing over what the exact shape of the fast air force looks like in the future, but the 48 that were signed up for the check’s in the post.”

The UK’s two new aircraft carriers were built specifically to operate the F-35, so there’s little chance of the Royal Navy moving away from the aircraft any time soon. HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to make its first deployment to the Indo-Pacific later this year, with a US Marine Corps F-35B air wing aboard, and the two nations are expected to work closely together, flying F-35s from aircraft carriers and amphibious ships in coming decades.

“I think that there is going to be a community of F-35 nations that we would be mad to ignore,” Heappey added. “We think that our carrier capability is something that we can develop alongside not just the US, but the Italians, the Japanese, and the Australians and many others who are looking at that highly capable aircraft.”

That buildup comes alongside the early retirement of two Type 23 frigates, an early scuttling of survey ships to be replaced by a new ocean survey ship more adept at monitoring subsea cables, and reducing the size of the armed forces by 10,000.

In an ambitious plan, those ships will be replaced by new Type 31 and Type 32 frigates, and the Type 26 anti-submarine frigate. The plan is for these ships to be able to swap out mission packages for the type of deployment they are tasked with, along with new ship-to-ship missiles. “For the first time since the Cold War, we are growing the size of fleet, but actually these are sort of general purpose frigates that can compete, day after day after day, rather than sort of high-end niche, billion dollar” ships that the US Navy has struggled with.

The UK is also planning on getting rid of dozens of tanks, its C-130J aircraft, about 24 of the oldest Typhoon combat aircraft, and a variety of helicopters.

The Ministry of Defence appears to be looking at the future of conflict in much the same way as the Pentagon, as a standoff fight with long-range precision weapons in which ground armor is less important.

“We’ve looked at what happened when the Turkish army went into northeast Syria with armed drones, and we’ve looked at what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Heappey said. “And what we can see there is that the nature of the close battle in the land domain has changed, and it’s really deprioritized [armor] in favor of precision deep fires.”

On a distributed battlefield, “having lots of mass doesn’t feel entirely relevant to the way that the world’s going,” he added. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

22 Mar 21. New British plan looks to boost F-35 numbers, but is it still aiming for 138?. A new defense spending plan from the British Ministry of Defence contains mixed news for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, as London pivots its gaze to its future homegrown fighter design.

The document, released Monday, stated that the U.K. plans to “grow the [F-35] Force, increasing the fleet size beyond the 48 aircraft that we have already ordered.” However, the document said nothing about previously announced plans to buy 138 of the F-35B models.

On one hand, that’s a positive sign for the fighter jet’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin: The pledge to procure more jets comes in the wake of discussions about whether the program could be capped at 48. On the other, it is far from Britain’s original pledge to buy 138 of the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing combat jets to equip the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The F-35Bs are principally scheduled to equip two new, 65,000-ton aircraft carriers.

Talking to Washington-based reporters on Monday, James Heappey, armed forces minister, did nothing to firm up the projected buy when asked directly about the 138 figure.

“We’ve committed to 48, we’ll buy 48,” Heappey said. “We’ve invested heavily in our own Future Combat Air System, which we’re developing with a number of other partner nations. I think that there’s a discussion on going over what the exact shape of the fast Air Force looks like in the future. But the 48 that were signed up for, the check’s in the post.”

While Air Marshal Richard Knighton, the deputy chief of the Defense Staff for capability, said in December that Britain knows it must “increase the number of F-35Bs to support the [Royal Navy] carrier through to its out-of-service date,” he expected to see “a definitive judgement around the total future fleet in the 2025 time frame.”

Justin Bronk, an air warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute in England, said the government’s “stated position, without details on future order plans, is probably politically unsustainable unless concrete assurances have been made to, and believed by, U.S. counterparts in private,” particularly for the U.S. Marine Corps, which is the other major user of the F-35B model.

“The U.K.’s operational requirements across the whole joint force for credible [suppression of enemy air defenses], penetrating [intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance], and strike capabilities cannot be met with 48 aircraft, especially given the latter will be heavily committed to supporting global carrier deployments,” Bronk added. “However, the lack of detail suggests funding for future orders has not yet been identified, as the government has decided to put national industrial sustainment — Tempest — ahead of operational needs in the combat air arena for the foreseeable future.”

The idea that the F-35 may see a cut due to the Future Combat Air System program, dubbed Tempest, is not a surprise. When the model for Tempest was unveiled at the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, one of the biggest questions was how the government could afford it while also maintaining its F-35 buy.

According to the review, Britain has allocated £2bn in development funding for Tempest over the next four years — a notable sum at a time the French-German-Spanish alliance to build a competing European fighter seems to be wobbling.

But the latest review emphasized Tempest not only as a future fighting capability but as a vital part of the defense-industrial base, saying the program “has already created over 1,800 new STEM jobs in over 300 companies nationwide, sustaining and supporting over 18,000 existing highly skilled jobs in the sector, as well as tens of thousands more in the wider supply chains across the UK.”

The report specifically called out Tempest as providing employment opportunities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For a decade, it’s appeared unrealistic that Britain could afford 138 F-35 jets, according to Bronk. “But the level of ambition and emphasis being signaled on Tempest probably means that the highest plausible U.K. purchase is now somewhere in the region of 60-72 jets,” he said.

Still, the F-35 remains fundamental for Britain’s plans, even if the 138 figure appears further away than anticipated. Heappey noted that the use of the plane among the American, Italian and Australian navies, among others, gives a common operating picture with which to work.

“There is going to be a community of F-35 nations that we would be mad to ignore,” he said. (Source: Defense News)

20 Mar 21. Britain says it stands with Bulgaria against ‘malign’ Russian activity. Britain said it stands with Bulgaria against “malign activity” by Russia in the country, adding that Moscow had been seeking to undermine the sovereignty of a NATO ally.

“We fully support Bulgaria’s efforts in disrupting an alleged spy ring and taking steps to tackle Russia’s hostile actions in its territory,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Twitter on Saturday.

Bulgarian prosecutors said on Friday that they had charged six Bulgarians, including senior officials from the defence ministry and military intelligence, with spying for Russia. (Source: Reuters)

22 Mar 21. Defence Outlines 2030 Vision For The UK Armed Forces.

Billions to be invested across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains
Forces adapt to counter hybrid and conventional threats
£85bn on equipment over next four years
Huge benefits to British industry across the UK

The UK Defence Secretary has set out the future vision for the UK Armed Forces ensuring the military is prepared for new and emerging threats and challenges.

Outlined in ‘Defence in a competitive age’, the UK Armed Forces will become a threat-focussed integrated force with a continued shift in thinking across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.

Defence will spend over £85bn on equipment over the next four years so our Armed Forces can adapt, compete effectively, and fight decisively when needed. This will support 400,000 jobs across all four nations of the UK.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said, “This Defence Command Paper ensures our Armed Forces are threat-focused, modernised and financially sustainable. Our military will be ready to confront future challenges, seize new opportunities for Global Britain and lay the foundations of a more secure and prosperous Union. We will continue to work with allied partners to address future global security threats whilst also enhancing critical outputs in the battlespace domains. Our people and their expertise are at the heart of what we do and further investments into training, welfare and support facilities will be reflective of this and ensure our Armed Forces are well equipped to face tomorrow’s threats today.”

The Army will receive significant investment to become more agile, integrated, lethal and expeditionary. The service will receive an additional £3bn on new vehicles, long-range rocket systems, air defences, drones, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities.

£120m will create new Ranger Regiments; four battalions will form the Regiment that will support Special Forces in collective deterrence activity. This will range from training to accompanying personnel on the ground. The Army will also introduce a new Warfighting Experimentation Battlegroup that draws on elements from across the entire Army designed to fight prototype warfare, focussing on hybrid and conventional threats.

The Royal Navy will develop a new Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ship to help protect vital underwater maritime infrastructure and protect from maritime threats, aiming to come into service by 2024. The fleet of frigates and destroyers will grow through this decade with shipbuilding investment doubling over the life of this Parliament rising to over £1.7bn a year. The Royal Marines will also benefit from a £200m investment over the next ten years to form the Future Command Force, a Commando force that is persistently forward deployed conducting specialist maritime security operations.

UK air capabilities will bolstered with an injection of over £2bn in the Future Combat Air System which will deliver a pioneering mix of crewed, uncrewed and autonomous platforms including swarming drones and the ultra-modern Tempest fighter jet. This programme has already created over 1,800 highly-skilled jobs in over 300 companies across the UK. The Typhoon fleet will be upgraded with a suite of new weapons and state-of-the-art radar.

Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter said, “For the first time that I can remember we have an alignment of the ends, ways and means to modernise and transform the posture of our nation’s Armed Forces to meet the threats of a more uncertain and dangerous world. The ends were set out by the Prime Minister with the publication of the Integrated Review last week, the ways were confirmed by our new Integrated Operating Concept which was published in September, and finally the means, which were confirmed last year when Defence was given a significant multi-year settlement of £24bn. This gives us the certainty to plan for the long term and deliver the Integrated Force Structure for 2030.”

£6.6bn will also be invested into research and development projects, helping to provide a strategic advantage that, facilitated with science, will lead to cutting-edge equipment capabilities. £60m over the next four years to develop a programme to develop novel weapons, artificial intelligence, synthetic/digital systems and space-based capabilities. Further to this, £500m will be invested in capabilities to enable our forces to respond in a growingly contested electromagnetic environment.

Space is fundamental to military operations, so the success of our forces greatly relies on control of that domain. We are investing £5bn over the next decade in the Skynet 6 satellite communication programme. This will be complimented by £1.4bn allocated to the new Space Command, National Space Operations Centre, Space Academy and a UK-built Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance satellite constellation. Space Command will officially launch on 1 April 2021.

Strategic Command will invest £1.5bn over the next decade to build and sustain a ‘digital backbone’ to share and exploit vast amounts of data, through the cloud, and across secure networks that are resilient to cyber-attacks from state, proxy and terrorist adversaries.

With its people at its forefront, Defence is set to invest £1.3bn into improving Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as part of an accommodation strategy, and £1.4bn into wraparound childcare giving personnel more childcare options, as part of a revised families strategy.

The UK will also enhance its global outlook with an investment in overseas training and will add to its Defence Attaché network which supports our integration with allies and overseas partners.

The Integrated Review addresses the challenges and opportunities the UK faces in a more competitive world, where new powers are using all the tools at their disposal to redefine the international order and seeks to examine how the UK uses its capabilities to respond to these threats.

Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space, said, “We welcome the commitment in today’s Command Paper to further developing sovereign industrial capability and ‘buying British’. It is a vital step which will help us to build on our substantial industrial presence in the UK, particularly in space and satellite manufacturing, in addition to the UK skills base which we rely on to deliver our leading space services. Space is one of the key areas where the UK can positively contribute to our allies because we manufacture and operate our military satellites as one system that has given world-class service over 50 years of operation. Our space design architects are already working on the blueprints to the future space network that will underpin UK military operations over the next 25 years to work alongside commercial satellite services. The launch of Space Command also represents a significant positive step and we welcome the emphasis on space situational awareness which is crucial in protecting our sovereign assets, and we look forward to continuing to play a major role in this area. Similarly, Airbus is at the forefront of new technology in the areas of cybersecurity and unmanned systems so we support the Command Paper’s focus on these capabilities. Our solar powered Zephyr UAS is designed and built in the UK and is a world leader, opening up the stratosphere to support future defence missions and multi-domain integration while our cybersecurity teams in South Wales protect some of the most sensitive systems in the UK, ensuring that military and critical industry systems are available and secure. Airbus employs more than12,500 people in the UK – including nearly 4000 in Defence and Space. Airbus Defence Space has more than 2000 suppliers (including 700 SMEs). Airbus spends more than £300m a year in R&D in the UK, and brings some £7bn value added to the economy every year.”

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25 Mar 21. Playing both sides: Will Saudi-Greek drills impact ties with Turkey?
The Saudi military has had a busy March, conducting eight exercises involving simulated attacks on oil facilities and interoperability drills with other nations. Observers say the reason for the kingdom’s activity of late is twofold: strengthen geopolitical relations and prepare for asymmetric threats.
But as Saudi Arabia drills alongside its neighbors, the country may have to deal with Mediterranean rivals Turkey and Greece.
Tension between Greece and Turkey flared last year over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean, leading to a military buildup in the area that featured warships from the two countries facing off.
However, in a sign that relations might improve, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said March 17 that his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, is set to visit Turkey on April 14. The announcement came after senior Turkish and Greek diplomats held exploratory talks in Athens — part of a series of such meetings designed to build trust between the neighboring countries.
“When it comes to cooperation with other states like Sudan and Greece, Saudi Arabia is actively exploring how to strengthen bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with regional states that share similar concerns about Turkey flexing its muscles in the Mediterranean and the Red sea. It is all these states’ interests to try to cooperate in the maritime domain,” said Aram Nerguizian, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Nerguizian also said the Saudi exercises should be viewed in the context of the kingdom facing the threats of irregular warfare and drone attacks, such as terrorist groups and the Sept. 14, 2019, attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities.
“Increased cooperation with countries like the United States, France and neighboring [United Arab Emirates] fits within the context of addressing both conventional challenges tied to the readiness of Saudi forces and, in the larger context, of trying to adapt tactics and cooperation with allies to deal with an increasing number of irregular threats,” he told Defense News.
The Saudi and French navies joined forces March 10 for White Shark 21 to enhance security cooperation in the region. And the Saudi and Sudanese navies kicked off Al-Fulk 4 on March 21 at King Faisal Naval Base, where the two services practiced ship inspections, fighting in urban areas and in buildings, and combat patrols. They also tested their primary and secondary weaponry skills, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency. Days later, on March 23, Saudi Arabia’s Western Fleet participated in Red Sea drills with its Indonesian counterpart.
As practice against attacks on oil facilities, the Royal Saudi Navy conducted a joint military drill with domestic units, including the Interior Ministry’s Eastern Province Border Guards, the Presidency of State Security, as well as the Energy Ministry represented by Saudi Aramco and the Aramco Gulf Operations Company.
For its part, the Royal Saudi Air Force carried out a joint military exercise with the U.S. Air Force to raise the level of joint combat readiness and boost cooperation. The Royal Saudi Air Force also brought its F-15s to the UAE for the Desert Flag exercise. Highlighting the growing relationship between Greece and Saudi Arabia, Falcon Eye 1 featured the countries’ air forces performing sorties for offensive and defensive counteroperations drills.
U.S. and Saudi land forces also gathered in the kingdom for Falcon Claws 3, a joint exercise aimed at strengthening military relations, exchanging expertise and concepts, and improving combat readiness to face external threats.
In addition, beginning on March 27, the Royal Saudi Air Force and Pakistan Air Force will take part in a two-week air exercise.
Abdullah Al Junaid, a Bahraini strategic expert and political researcher, anticipates an increase in military drills between European and Middle Eastern states, citing security and stability in the Mediterranean basin as critical to that of the entire Middle East. Regional states also want to ensure safety of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, he added.
“Military exercises in all their forms come within the framework of raising the efficiency and readiness of all branches of the Saudi Armed Forces, and the security and safety of navigation in the Arabian Gulf comes on top of priorities for all Arab Gulf states. And the programs to develop the Eastern Fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy confirm the growing regional role in securing navigation not only in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, but this concept will expand in the future to include the Arabian Sea, within an imperative strategy — security of the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.”
Where does Turkey come in?
Earlier this month, two Saudi Arabian manufacturers announced they will co-produce the Karayel-SU drone under license from the Turkish company Vestel Savunma. While the industrial cooperation is a good sign for ties between Turkey and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will the Saudi-Greek drills harm that relationship?
Turkish defense analyst Calgar Kurc doesn’t think so. Turkey’s show of force in the region seems to have resulted in the emergence of a counter group, he said, and the country wants to put an end to the resulting isolation.
as it heads west from Antalya into the Mediterranean Sea. (Turkish Defense Ministry via AP)
“The KSA-Greece drills show KSA’s support for Greece’s regional policies, which are counter to Turkish interest. Turkey has realized that the military show of force is not enough in the Eastern Mediterranean without support from the important actors in the region,” Kurc told Defense News. “I think we are observing a shift in Turkey’s behavior in the region. Turkey’s priority now is to end its isolation by repairing the damaged relations. This is what we are seeing with Turkey’s rapprochement with Egypt and KSA. At this point, the drills would not have a significant effect on the process because the priority is to mend the relations.”
However, he acknowledged, Saudi Arabia and Turkey still have much to resolve. “There are some inherent sources of competition between Turkey and KSA. Aligning KSA and Turkey’s interest in the East Med seems difficult at this point.”
Additionally, industrial cooperation still has a ways to go, he noted.
“Deepening the defense-industrial cooperation would depend on whether Turkey and KSA could resolve their deep-running disagreements in the region. Furthermore, KSA has many potential suppliers who would be willing to cooperate with Saudi defense companies. The competition would be tough for Turkey,” Kurc said. “The issue could become more complicated as Turkish companies increasingly have difficulties in reaching Western technologies, [which prevents sales] to third countries.”
Turkey and the West (particularly the United States) have been butting heads over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. Until that issue is resolved, it appears Turkey’s planned sale of T129 Atak helicopters to Pakistan — which is already delayed — won’t occur. Because American technology is part of the aircraft’s design, the Turkish company selling the helicopters must first secure U.S. export licenses before delivery can take place.
Saudi Arabia is an economic and military powerhouse in the region, Al Junaid noted, “and it is natural that it aspires to growing relations with countries within its geopolitical space.”
“Turkey and Greece each have their own place within the Saudi strategic vision. It is a mistake to assume that Saudi relations are formed outside the framework of its responsibility, as it is the central state in the Arab world, and other countries must deal with it on that basis,” he said of the seemingly contradictory relationships the kingdom has with Greece and Turkey.
Added Nerguizian: “[Saudi Arabia’s] overtures tied to Turkey and cooperation on drones do not appear — at least for the time being — to be part of a larger strategy.”
He said Greece is left to navigate these ambiguous policies if it wants to further solidify cooperation with Saudi Arabia, in spite of the kingdom’s ties to Turkey. (Source: Defense News)

25 Mar 21. UK sanctions major military business interests in further measures against Myanmar military regime.
The Foreign Secretary announces UK sanctions against military-owned conglomerate Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced further measures targeting the Myanmar regime today (Thursday 25 March), sanctioning military-owned conglomerate Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd for its involvement in serious human rights violations against the Rohingya and its association with senior military figures.
Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) is a military conglomerate owned by parts of the armed forces, and current and former military officers. Designating the entity under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime will also prohibit funds being made available to any subsidiaries “owned or controlled” by MEHL.
The designation is in response to evidence that MEHL contributed funds to support the country’s armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, in their campaign on ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya in 2017, having reasonable cause to suspect that the funds would or may contribute to the serious human rights violations committed, and that MEHL is associated with the Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief.
The UK is announcing this action alongside the United States, who are also imposing sanctions on MEHL.
Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said, “Today’s sanctions target the military’s financial interests to help drain the sources of finance for their campaigns of repression against civilians. The UK has been at the forefront of a strong, co-ordinated international response to situation in Myanmar. In March, the UK secured a Presidential Statement at the UN Security Council condemning violence by the regime against peaceful protestors, and called for respect of Myanmar’s democratic transition and the release of all those detained arbitrarily.”
This followed 2 UK-led statements by G7 Foreign Ministers(condemning the coup in Myamar and violence in Myanmar) and a statement at the UN Security Council in February.
These new sanctions follow last month’s designation of nine individuals from Myanmar’s military. Those sanctions focused on those directly responsible for human rights violations committed by the police and military during the coup in Myanmar, as well as the State Administration Council, which was set up following the coup to exercise the functions of state.
In conjunction with the work on sanctions, the UK has temporarily suspended all promotion of trade with Myanmar while we work with British businesses and civil society to reshape our approach to trade. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

24 Mar 21. Defence to invest £2bn in next stage of UK combat air system.
Defence Minister Jeremy Quin has warned that the ‘freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted’ as threat picture changes in RUSI speech
• More than £2bn announced for world leading future combat air system Tempest to keep UK and allies safe
• The programme has already created more than 1,800 new science and technology jobs in over 300 companies nationwide
Defence Minister Jeremy Quin has outlined how more than £2bn of investment in the Tempest programme will power the next phase to build a world-leading new combat air system in a keynote speech at RUSI today.
The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper set out the vital importance of the programme to global security and UK prosperity, which is why the UK will invest over the next four years to move into the next phase to design and deliver the next-generation system.
With strong global alliances and a world-class industrial base, the UK is stepping forward and driving international partnerships with Italy and Sweden. The work will sustain and support a sector which already generates £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 people across all four corners of the UK.
The sector and the broader UK defence industry is set to be boosted by the new Defence Industrial and Security Strategy, unveiled yesterday, which will ensure that the UK retains a competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industry.
Speaking at RUSI’s Combat Air Power conference, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said, “As our recently published Integrated Review underlined, technology and the threats we are facing have moved on. In the intervening decades, the likes of Russia and China have studied our strengths in the air and begun developing the capabilities to not only counter but surpass us. If we fail to outmatch these targets and they continue at this pace, we could find ourselves locked out of the skies. The freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted. We have launched the next phase of our programme to design and deliver Tempest and I am proud to say that, over the next four years, we will invest more than £2bn as Government into a world-leading future combat air system to keep us and our allies safe alongside us, leveraging additional investment from our first rate international and industrial partners.”
In his speech, the Minister will outline how the West has had full freedom of manoeuvre in the air since the first Gulf War in 1991, which marked a shift in focus towards mainly counter insurgency operations. He will go on to explain how this assumption can no longer be made, highlighting that advanced surface-to-air missiles and electronic attack systems developed by Russia have been used in Syria, whilst China has been developing and fielding innovative systems at an ever-faster rate. The UK is developing Tempest with the intensifying threat picture in mind, ensuring it has a system able to keep the country and its allies safe for the rest of the century.
The MOD’s Director of Future Combat Air, Richard Berthon, said, “Combat Air is vital to the protection of the UK and our contribution to global security. The Integrated Review shows the UK’s commitment to staying at the cutting edge of future Combat Air technologies. We are working closely with industry and international partners to launch the next phase of delivering the Tempest concept. This is an exciting milestone as we seize the opportunities created by digital design and delivery to revolutionise combat air delivery and preserve our operational advantage for decades to come.”
The elements of Tempest will connect and combine to provide a battle-winning combat air system for the rest of the 21st century. A core aircraft will likely form one element of a network of capabilities which could include long-range weapons, space-based sensors and supporting uncrewed aircraft.
The Minister will stress the importance of software as well as hardware in delivering the system, highlighting how the department is developing ‘PYRAMID’, an open mission system architecture to ensure software can be updated more rapidly. He will also set the challenge to ‘digitise’ the industry, explaining how using a digital environment can slash costs and time to a game-changing extent.
The UK is now launching the concept and assessment phase to design and deliver Tempest with its partners – this will accelerate analysis and set out how to deliver the project. The programme is targeting Initial Operating Capability from 2035 so that, over time, the system can replace Typhoon as it reaches the end of its service life. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

24 Mar 21. Minister for Defence Procurement’s speech at the RUSI Combat Air Power Conference. The Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, gave the keynote speech at the RUSI Combat Air Power conference outlining £2bn investment in the UK’s Combat Air System.
2021 marks 30 years since the end of the first Gulf War. For those of us watching on our TV screens it remains the defining image of UK air power in action. We watched as our strike fighters, in tandem with our allies, gave a terrifying demonstration of precision and power. In barely six weeks the RAF had flown thousands of sorties, achieved total dominance of the skies over the Gulf and drove out Sadaam’s forces and liberated Kuwait.
But, as our recently published Integrated Review underlined, technology and the threats we are facing have moved on. In the intervening decades, the likes of Russia and China have studied our strengths in the air and begun developing the capabilities to not only counter but surpass us.
So, we’ve witnessed Russia deploy advanced systems and develop their Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2AD) capabilities, from surface-to-air missiles to electronic attack.
We’ve seen China build multiple highly effective systems that challenge Western warfighting. Producing J-20 fifth generation fighters, Y-20 heavy transport aircraft, armed stealth UAVs, not to mention the world’s most modern surface to air missiles.
And both countries are now exporting advanced air technologies to many North African, Middle Eastern and Asian nations. Russia has sold S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and China are selling rapidly upgradeable software-enabled radars.
Even a cursory examination of geopolitical events reveals the battlefield has changed dramatically. Iran have used drone swarms. The Houthi’s have used anti-aircraft missiles. And all forces, whether forward deployed or on the home front, are conscious of the risk of discovery by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). That’s just what’s in store us today. More disturbing are the threats coming down the track.
By 2040 we imagine our air fleets will need to operate in highly contested environments where our enemies can disguise all traces of their approach. An adversary with high-end systems who can draw on Artificial Intelligence to fuse data to pinpoint their targets in an instant with minute precision. An adversary who can target us with a range of surface-to-air and hypersonic missiles that have greater manoeuvrability, greater lethality and a greater range than ever before.
And the danger is as likely to come from space as it is from cyber space. Nor should we expect it to be solely directed against the military but against our logisticians, our suppliers, our information specialists.
If we fail to outmatch these targets and they continue at this pace, we could find ourselves locked out of the skies. The freedom of the air cannot be taken for granted. We have to preserve our freedom to protect ourselves and cannot accept large parts of the world becoming potentially out of bounds.
But to safeguard our skies, highly capable threats need highly capable systems to counter them. So how should we respond? For your answer, I refer you simply to our recently published Integrated Review and the Command Paper. I don’t doubt those tuning in will already know these important documents off by heart. So, let me simply highlight some salient details.
We have launched the next phase of our programme to design and deliver Tempest and I am proud to say that, over the next four years, we will invest more than £2bn as Government into a world-leading future combat air system to keep us and our allies safe alongside us, leveraging additional investment from our first rate international and industrial partners.
For me, Tempest is about three things:
First, it’s about capability. In the past we put platforms first. But Tempest is much more than just a jet. This is a sixth-generation system.
A system with a virtual brain that can embrace artificial intelligence, deep learning, novel sensors and communications technologies. A system that can gather, process and exploit magnitudes more data than today. A system able to rapidly and seamlessly connect operations and share information not just in the air, on land and over the sea but in space and the cyber sphere.
This is about a system that can tap into a network of capabilities including long-range weapons, space-based sensors and directed energy and high-speed weapons. It is a system built with the open architecture that allows for constant upgrades.
And over the next five years we will be testing out a suite of new, novel technologies to turn concept into reality.
From Combat Cloud Architecture that can master a mass of data to outthink an enemy, to an uncrewed aerial aide which can fly ahead of, alongside, or on its own to lend our future fighter jet a hand.
Our £30m contract to design and manufacture the prototype for an uncrewed fighter aircraft, known as Mosquito, is supporting more than 100 jobs in Belfast. In 2023 we will be looking to conduct a flight-test programme for the demonstrator.
And it’s not just the hardware but the software that will make a difference. We are developing an open mission system architecture, known as PYRAMID, to ensure software can be rapidly adapted to meet technological advances and evolving threats while saving time and money.
We are targeting this system coming online from 2035. Over time, it will replace the Typhoon as it reaches the end of its service life.
Secondly, Tempest is about ensuring we have the industrial capability of the future.
Our combat air sector is already the envy of the world. It generates £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 workers across the four nations of the UK.
But, at a time when UK civil aerospace industry is having to adapt to the difficult challenges created by COVID-19, we are now creating an unprecedented opportunity.
The chance for the biggest names in the aerospace business to come together with our brilliant SMEs and universities to develop a sixth-generation combat air enterprise. The chance to create more jobs and develop future skills. And the chance to spread prosperity the length and breadth of the UK. The very embodiment of this Government’s desire to level up.
This is a programme benefitting over 300 companies nationwide which has already given more than 1,800 of our brightest and best the chance to shine with STEM apprenticeships. And through events, scholarships and apprenticeship schemes, we’re engaging, supporting and funding what we’re calling “the Tempest generation”.
This is a programme that has spawned a growing aviation eco-system comprising multiple contracts with companies and academia.
We know that, in the past few decades, despite our successes, the Western way of procurement has not kept pace with our adversaries. So, our challenge will be to accelerate innovation and, once again, be pioneers in aviation.
‘Digitising’ the industry is part of that challenge. BAE’s ‘Factory of the Future’ in Warton is already highlighting how digital twinning could contribute to the design and manufacture of Tempest systems.
By virtually designing a digital version of a physical aircraft, they’ve been able to use their high-performance computers to put it through its paces and work out how it performs. Getting this right will slash costs and testing time to a game-changing extent. This is transformational.
But I have no doubt the brilliant brains of scientists and engineers across the country have what it takes. They have already achieved a world first – an electrical embedded starter generator able to provide a future fighter aircraft with unprecedented levels of electrical power and thermal load.
There’s a third and final aspect to Tempest that I wish to highlight today
It is not merely about strengthening our industry but bolstering our international ties.
This programme gives us a chance to work with like-minded allies to share technology, experience and R&D costs. To enhance our understanding and interoperability. And to build something that is world beating.
We’ve already made significant progress with our partners Sweden and Italy. Partners who bring credible industries and great strength-in-depth design, manufacture and sensor technologies.
And we’re now exploring the important corporate opportunities with Japan.
Each partner will bring a host of benefits and expertise to the table.
I’ve already touched on ‘digitising’ the industry – Saab, the industry lead for our partner Sweden, have done some great work in this field. Through digital testing of their Gripen-E, they have drastically reduced the hours and cost it would have taken to test a physical system; they’re now calling it the world’s most cost-effective fighter jet. I’m sure we’ll be looking to learn a lot from them about the huge benefits that can be delivered by this kind of digital simulation.
Combine the technical experience of Sweden with our long-standing Combat Air partnership with Italy which has gone from strength-to-strength with Eurofighter and F-35, and potentially the world-leading manufacturing technologies being developed by Japan, on top of the world-beating qualities that I have explained the UK has to offer, and that really is a winning formula.
And we’re open to other partners coming on board
Thirty years ago, the UK and its western allies appeared unchallenged in the air domain. Today our adversaries have caught up. But a major national and international endeavour is now underway.
Working with industry and with our international allies, we are aiming high. A state-of-the-art system fit for tomorrow’s world. A system that matches our ambition to invest in high-tech skills, jobs and businesses. And a system that will ensure, decades from now, whenever the next conflict arises, we will stay in control of the air, winning the air-fight and protecting our peace and prosperity for generations to come. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. Germany shelves new anti-missile weapon and turns to drone defense. The German Defence Ministry has shelved plans for a next-generation air defense system, instead investing in counter-drone technology and upgrades to the country’s aging Patriot fleet.
The announcement on Tuesday comes after months of studying options between the costly Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem, or TLVS, aimed at destroying sophisticated missiles and aircraft, and cheaper weapons for intercepting enemy drones.
Ministry officials told lawmakers they plan to begin modernizing the Patriot missile defense inventory starting in 2023 to keep the system usable through 2030. The decision amounts to a win for manufacturer Raytheon Technologies, which had feared losing the preeminence of its global cash cow over a novel system developed by a major European country.
In a second step, officials in Berlin want to field a new defensive system against short-range threats, eventually replacing the “old and qualitatively and quantitatively insufficient” Ozelot fleet, according to a ministry statement. That project has the potential to spark Europe-wide cooperation, officials said, pointing to the Dutch-German Apollo program, under which both nations have integrated a portion of their air-defense formations.
Joint acquisitions with other European Union and NATO partners toward a “European drone and air-defense” system could be in the offing, the statement added.
The steps outlined on Tuesday amount to a mere proposal for German lawmakers, as there is no money programmed in Germany’s midterm budget for major air defense investments.
The odds are diminishing for a more sophisticated German defense system against hypersonic missiles, such as those developed by Russia, anytime soon. That is because annual defense budget requirements are set to exceed government spending plans with quickening speed in the coming years.
Still, the German government has yet to formally declare TLVS canceled, even though vendor MBDA Deutschland — the local partner of main contractor Lockheed Martin — has begun planning its business posture without it.
“At the moment, there is no decision yet about where things are going,” a German Defence Ministry spokeswoman told Defense News. “We’ll first have to wait for clarity on the budget.”
Notably, the proposed Patriot upgrades will not introduce significant new capabilities, including 360-degree coverage in threat interception, according to the spokeswoman. That feature was a major driver in the push for TLVS because it meant deployments would have a much lower footprint and manning requirement than Patriot batteries, which can only fire interceptors in one direction.
The 360-degree requirement remains on the books, the spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin officials “intend to discuss with the customer in the next weeks how TLVS capabilities can contribute to the Bundeswehr’s future design of ground-based air defense,” a company spokesman wrote in an emailed statement.
The company’s doggedness may stem from a short mention of “a TLVS” in the Finance Ministry’s latest budget proposal, dated March 22. That document lists the system as part of a collection of programs involving international obligations about which there is governmentwide agreement for funding, at least in principle. (Source: Defense News)

23 Mar 21. Royal Navy to spend £50m on Marines ‘mothership’ that will see troops constantly ready for action.
The strike ship, which can hold up to 400 people, will see more troops deployed around the world to ‘respond rapidly to crises’
Under plans released on Monday in the Defence Review, one of the three Bay-class logistic support vessels will be converted to act as an “agile and lethal” strike ship.
An additional £40m will be spent on developing the Future Commando Force to make it “ready to strike from the sea”.
Together, the plans will see more Royal Marines deploying around the world for long periods to “respond rapidly to crises… operate alongside our allies and partners [and] counter state threats”.
The Bay-class ship, which carry a standard load of around 400 troops but can take up to 700 in an emergency, will be fitted out with secure communications and converted to operate airborne, surface and underwater drones.
Under the Royal Navy Transformation plans the vessel, crewed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the civilian adjunct to the Royal Navy, will act as a command and control mothership for Royal Marines operations.
Airborne drones, such as the Anduril Ghost helicopter, will be used to spy on the enemy. In trials with 40 Commando, troops said it was “built for soldiering”.
“It’s always searching, it’s constantly looking. This isn’t just a drone with a camera, it’s Artificial Intelligence.”
The in-service Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boat will be converted to a drone and carry cameras, acoustic sensors and weapons, if current trials with the Royal Navy are successful.
The new strike ship may also operate the Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV), a nine-tonne mini-submarine capable of surveillance missions. The XLUUV can dive to over 300m and carry weapons and intelligence sensors.
The defence white paper, the Ministry of Defence’s contribution to the Government’s Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, saw military chiefs sacrificing old equipment to invest in newer capabilities.
However, the decision to keep both 20,000 tonne amphibious assault ships – HMS Albion and Bulwark, due to retire later this decade – and augment them with a new global strike ship has been seen as a “mandate to change,” by naval chiefs.
The three Bay-class amphibious ships can offload embarked troops and armoured vehicles using two landing craft from an internal dock capable of being flooded. Helicopters, including the heavy-lift Chinooks, can land on the deck craft.
With an 8,000 nautical mile range, the ships are highly versatile and can operate in extremely rough weather all around the world.
H I Sutton, a submarine specialist, told The Telegraph the Saviz, although basic, had proved valuable.
“Iran has now converted two more. Their largest one is more akin to the US Navy’s Expeditionary Mobile Base making it much larger than the British ship,” he said.
Brigadier Dan Cheeseman, the Royal Navy’s chief technology officer, said artificial intelligence and autonomous surveillance systems “are battle winning technologies for our Future Commando Force”. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

23 Mar 21. Warship U-turn set to boost British shipbuilding. Government reverses course on new supply ships for Navy but fears persist that the work will still go abroad. British shipbuilding is set for a “renaissance” following a government U-turn on how it classifies warships. Unveiling the changes in the Commons on Tuesday, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the new policy will make clear the option to “choose to procure warships of any description here in the UK”.
The statement was a reference to building a new class of “fleet solid support” (FSS) ships to provide the Royal Navy with supplies such as ammunition and food, allowing the fleet to stay at sea for longer.
Previously, EU procurement rules allowed the Government to restrict bids for warships to UK companies, but the Government had refused to class some Royal Navy support ships as warships.
Unions have argued that constructing the £1.5bn contract the three new 40,000-tonne vessels is vital to sustaining Britain’s shipbuilding industry until the next major round of naval contracts.
Mr Quin said the reforms marked a “step change” in the Government’s approach to the defence and security industrial sectors.
He said: “It will help retain onshore, critical industries for our national security and our future. It will help us develop advanced skills and capabilities.
“And with defence procurement benefitting every part of our Union it will help galvanise our levelling up agenda.”
Documents detailing the new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy said decisions on how the Ministry of Defence contracts work for new classes of ships will be made “on a case-by-case basis”.
Also taken into account will be that a “regular drumbeat of design and manufacturing work is needed to maintain the industrial capabilities”, along with “social impact”, such as how many jobs they create or how they reinforce the UK’s supply chain.
An all-British consortium dubbed “Team UK” comprising BAE Systems, Babcock, Cammell Laird and Rolls-Royce, is understood to be one of two parties bidding for contracts.
The other is “Team Resolute”, consisting of British maritime consultancy BMT, Harland & Wolff, which is owned by Infrastrata which recently acquired Appledore, along with Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia.
Shipbuilding unions warned that much of the value of the FSS contract could still go abroad if the MoD seeks the cheapest option without considering wider economic impacts.
Ian Waddell, head of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, said: “The MoD is completely keeping its options open on using competition, including internationally, as the procurement model for auxiliary ships and potentially now for warships, which is actually a step backwards.”
He claimed the approach will weaken Britain’s shipbuilding sector as it “increases, rather than removes uncertainty, as each procurement will be decided on a case-by-case basis”. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

23 Mar 21. UK Warfighting Experimentation Force unveiled. The British Army is introducing a pioneering warfighting experimentation Battlegroup.
• Prototype warfighting and experimentation Battlegroup being established
• The force will hone skills to tackle the latest hybrid and conventional threats.
Soldiers will have their future warfighting skills sharpened and developed further by the establishment of the new dedicated force, based on an infantry battalion but with elements from across the army, designed to fight prototype warfare at the leading edge of defence.
In setting a bold ambition for the future, the experimentation Battlegroup will pit soldiers, equipment and tactics against the very latest hybrid and conventional threats posed by terrorist, proxy and state adversaries.
Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey said, “With every great advance in technology comes an advance in the way we fight. The British Army has a proud tradition of experimenting and innovating with new technologies during each of the previous industrial revolutions so as we enter this new age of big data, automation and artificial intelligence, it’s important that the new Experimental Battlegroup will be able to build on that tradition and integrate these latest advances into our force structures, equipment requirements and tactics.
Supercharging experimentation, the force will lead in trialling cutting-edge technology and its integration into the way we fight; testing the force to its limits, driving innovation and ensuring that the army’s structures, equipment and way of fighting evolve in line with the threats.
This will push forces to their limits to drive innovation to the core of British Army structures and future-proof the battlefield for British personnel.
The Battlegroup draws on the heritage of previous experimental units during earlier industrial revolutions such as the Experimental Corps of Riflemen in the Napoleonic Campaign who introduced rifles, sharpshooting and skirmishing tactics for the first time and the Experimental Mechanised Force formed in 1927 to investigate and develop the techniques and equipment required for armoured warfare.”
This announcement follows the publication of the Integrated Review earlier this week. The Integrated Review is the most comprehensive articulation of a defence, foreign and national security approach published by a British Government in decades.
As part of the Integrated Review, the army will modernise to form a more agile and integrated force able to exploit Defence’s network across the globe delivering vital capabilities in the most-contested environments.
The Defence Command Paper published on 22 March and outlines further details on how defence will adapt and modernise to meet future threats.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. British Army announces Special Ops Army Ranger Regiment.
The British Army is establishing a special operations Brigade, the core of which will be four battalions of the new Ranger Regiment.
• British Army unveils new special operations Ranger Regiment
• The Rangers will operate in high-threat environments
Over the next four years a share of £120m will be invested into the unit, enabling it to undertake roles traditionally carried out by Special Forces. They can be expected to be involved in collective deterrence such as training, advising, enabling and accompanying partner forces.
Alongside special operations, a further Brigade will be established. The Security Force Assistance Brigade to provide guidance and training to allied partner nations and draw expertise form across the army.
Elements of each Brigade will be routinely deployed across the globe to assist partner nations in delivering defence and security.
The Ranger Regiment seeded from four Infantry Battalions and will be at the core of our frontline expeditionary posture.
In addition to the Rangers, the Security Force Assistance Brigade will provide guidance and training to allied and partner nations. It will contain specialised infantry units with the ability to draw personnel and expertise from across the Army.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said, “The best way to prevent conflict and deter our adversaries is to work alongside partners to strengthen their security and resilience. These Ranger battalions will be at the vanguard at a more active and engaged armed forces.
Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith said, “The Army Special Operations Brigade is designed to operate alongside both regular and irregular partners and proxies in high-threat and hostile environments.”
Consisting of four specialist battalions, the Army Ranger Regiment will be the vanguard of the Army’s global footprint.
This announcement follows the publication of the Integrated Review earlier this week. The Integrated Review is the most comprehensive articulation of a defence, foreign and national security approach published by a British Government in decades.
As part of the Integrated Review, the army will modernise to form a more agile and integrated force able to exploit defence’s network across the globe delivering vital capabilities in the most-contested environments.
The Defence Command Paper was published on 22 March and outlines further details on how defence will adapt and modernise to meet future threats.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. Scottish Secretary speech on defence in Scotland. Alister Jack delivered a speech at RAF Lossiemouth.
It’s a privilege to be here, at this crucial RAF base from where aircraft and crews are poised 24/7, 365 days a year, to scramble and intercept potential threats to UK airspace.
And from where the United Kingdom contributes to NATO Air Policing missions, having deployed to Iceland, Estonia, Romania and Lithuania in recent times. A strength and a tradition that all of us in Scotland should be rightly proud of. I thank you all for all you do.
The last eight days have been the biggest in generations for the defence sector with the publication of the Integrated Review.
And that was followed swiftly by yesterday’s launch of the Defence Command Paper.
This paper outlined clear and credible plans as to how we will modernise and adapt our Armed Forces, supported by additional UK Government investment of £24bn over the next four years.
And then today will see the release of the new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, which details the framework through which we will deliver on these plans working with industry, academia and our global partners.
This will see Scotland benefit from increased investment, bringing skilled jobs in traditional areas such as shipbuilding, and also in rapidly developing areas such as cyber and space.
UK defence, and Scotland, enjoy a special two-way relationship. The UK brings key security and economic benefits to Scotland while Scottish military and civilian personnel at establishments across the nation provide capabilities that are vital to the UK and our NATO allies.
Defence makes a significant economic contribution to Scotland with 15,000 regular and reserve armed forces personnel, supported by 4,000 MOD civilians.
And defence procurement contracts support over 12,000 private sector jobs in Scotland.
Bases such as this – home to brave service personnel and civilians, and state of the art kit such as Typhoon jets and submarine hunting aircraft – show that Scotland has a crucial role to play in the security of the UK and the world.
The significance of RAF Lossiemouth is clear, as it continues to expand and modernise as home to four front line Typhoon squadrons, Poseidon P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and the RAF’s new Wedgetail E-7 early warning aircraft.
The new MPA Strategic Facility is part of a £470m UK Government investment in infrastructure at this base.
So, let me talk a little more about the Integrated Review and why it is so important.
It differs from previous reviews in that it addresses our national security and international policy together.
It more strongly addresses the link between our domestic and international policy.
And it takes a thematic approach that brings together all the instruments of government behind overarching objectives.
The first responsibility of any government must be to protect its citizens.
And, in a changing world, together the United Kingdom must stay ahead of the evolving threats to our people, interests, and allies.
Alone, no one part of our Union can adequately protect its citizens from the new threats we face.
Nor can we prosper economically and socially in the way we can as a United Kingdom.
Together, all parts of the UK will take full advantage of the opportunities that lie before us.
The Integrated Review sets this out in four strategic areas.
Firstly, Sustaining strategic advantage through science and technology.
In short, this means that we will fortify and extend the position of the UK – and Scotland in particular – as a global science and technology superpower.
We will build our cyber strengths and capabilities in the frontiers of cyberspace, emerging technology, data, and space.
Crucially, the Integrated Review sets the ambition for the UK to be a meaningful player in space – using a mixture of sovereign capabilities and partnerships with our allies.
To achieve this we are developing the first national space strategy.
The UK space industry already generates an income of £14.8bn annually, with more satellites produced in Scotland than any country in Western Europe.
Scotland will remain at the heart of this national effort.
We will launch British satellites from Scotland by 2022 as part of the UK Space Agency’s programme to enable a UK-wide market for spaceflight services.
Secondly, Shaping the open international order of the future.
International competition and the effects of the global pandemic will make it ever more important for the UK to work to restore a spirit of greater international cooperation.
Our influence on the world stage is extensive through our role in the UN and the global trading system.
There are real benefits that our extensive diplomatic network brings us in nearly 270 places around the world.
Our ambition to play an increasingly active part on the world stage will be of huge benefit to Scotland.
For example, just recently it was announced that the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s site in East Kilbride will increase in size by a further 500 jobs taking the total number to 1,500 by 2025.
Thirdly, Strengthening security and defence at home and overseas.
The threats we face are changing rapidly and we need to adapt and excel in new areas of defence to ensure the nations of the UK are safe and can prosper.
Our selfless servicemen and women are, of course, hugely important and will remain so.
As well as a quick reaction airbase, Scotland’s proximity to the North Atlantic means we are also home to a strong naval presence.
Her Majesty’s Naval Base on the Clyde plays a vital role in defending us and our NATO allies.
It is home to the Royal Navy nuclear submarines and continues to receive £1.5bn worth of infrastructure investment.
As the second largest single-site employer in Scotland it currently provides 6,800 jobs and will grow to 8,200 jobs in future.
The importance of this site cannot be over-estimated and the Integrated Review highlights the new risks posed by the nuclear ambitions of some states.
In a context in which nuclear-armed states are prepared to flout international norms of behaviour, we must protect ourselves, and our allies, by the continued operation of a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent based on continuous at sea presence.
But a country’s security can no longer be measured by the number of troops or weapons they have.
The threats of the 21st Century are different.
We need to be prepared for high-tech warfighting and to defend ourselves from cyber-attacks and disinformation.
We will play our part in this within a strong NATO.
Fourthly, Building resilience at home and overseas.
We will improve our own ability, and those of our allies, to anticipate, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from risks.
The pandemic has shown us how vital this endeavour is and just how connected global threats can be.
Our fantastic scientists have made a global impact. We will accelerate vaccine distribution globally as the fastest route to recovery from the Covid crisis, and strengthen UK and global preparedness for future pandemics.
The British military’s work to support Covid testing and vaccinations in Scotland is testament to this and the power of the Union to keep people safe.
The Integrated Review also makes tackling climate change and biodiversity loss the UK’s foremost international priority.
Through the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November, and beyond, our leadership will be vital.
To conclude Ladies and Gentlemen, In the Integrated Review the Prime Minister states:
Our Union will be more secure and prosperous, with wealth and opportunity shared more equitably across its regions bound by shared values and interests, we will stand stronger together on the international stage.
And I could not agree more.
Together, the Integrated Review, the defence Command Paper and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy demonstrate powerfully how important defence is to Scotland – and how important Scotland is to the defence of the UK and, indeed, our NATO allies.
We cannot take our security for granted, but by working together in a strong Union, we can ensure a safe, prosperous future for the UK. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Mar 21. NATO Foreign Ministerial Statement. Issued by the NATO Foreign Ministers Brussels, 23rd-24th March 2021.
1. We are meeting in Brussels to reaffirm the enduring transatlantic bond between Europe and North America, with NATO at its heart. We are bound together by our shared democratic values, and by our adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. NATO is the foundation of our collective defence: together we reaffirm our solemn commitment to the Washington Treaty, including that an attack against one Ally shall be considered an attack against us all, as enshrined in Article 5.
2. NATO is the strongest alliance in history, guaranteeing the freedom of a billion people, the integrity of our territory, and the protection of our values. NATO is a defensive Alliance and poses no threat to any country. In response to a more dangerous and unpredictable security environment, we are considerably strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities, posture and resilience, underpinned by seven consecutive years of rising defence spending, more capable and ready forces, significant deployments in missions and operations, and deeper engagement with partners. We are making good progress on fairer transatlantic burden sharing; we welcome the efforts made by all Allies in Europe and North America that contribute to our indivisible security. We must and will do more.
3. NATO will continue to adapt. We face rising threats and systemic competition. Russia’s aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security; terrorism in all its forms and manifestations remains a persistent threat to us all. Assertive and authoritarian powers, and non-state actors, challenge the rules-based international order, including through hybrid and cyber threats, the malicious use of new technologies, as well as other asymmetric threats. The Covid-19 pandemic once again illustrates that we face constantly evolving challenges; we will continue to ensure our defence and operational effectiveness throughout this crisis. We pay tribute to all those who combat this pandemic in all our countries and around the world.
4. The transatlantic partnership remains the cornerstone of our collective defence, central to our political cohesion, and an essential pillar of the rules-based international order. The upcoming NATO Summit will open a new chapter in transatlantic relations and set the direction for the future of our Alliance to 2030 and beyond. In line with the decision by our Leaders in London in December 2019, we will further strengthen NATO’s political dimension, including consultation. We welcome the reflection process, including the recommendation to update NATO’s Strategic Concept. We will further reinforce NATO’s resilience, military strength and global outlook, connecting more closely with other nations and international organisations that share our goals. We will continue to stand together and to work together, to guarantee our security, prosperity, democracy and freedoms.

23 Mar 21. Defence ‘Builds Back Better’ with bold new Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. Defence will accelerate the innovation and development of next-generation technology with an ambitious Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) – published today – coupled with a £6.6bn investment in research and development.
Announced by the Prime Minister in the Integrated Review, the multi billion pound R&D investment will bolster the UK’s place at the leading edge of science and technology, driving prosperity and generating thousands of highly skilled jobs across the country.
The Defence Command Paper published yesterday following the Integrated Review signals a pivot towards the technologies and industrial capability needed to deliver the integrated operating concept, digital backbone of our Armed Forces, cyber and space capabilities, novel weapons, and artificial intelligence which will all be underpinned by new testing and evaluation investment.
The Government’s ability to capitalise on these areas of investment will be supercharged by DSIS, which will modernise and streamline regulations to drive innovation and improvements in productivity and efficiency ensuring the UK expands its competitive, pioneering and world-class defence and security industries.
This initiative is essential if we are to succeed in our global role defined in the Integrated Review. This role requires our Armed Forces to deter and defeat the military threats of the future whilst remaining agile and adaptable to the rapidly changing face of warfare, conflict environments and global engagement.
Announcing the new strategy in the House of Commons, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said, “DSIS signals a step change in our approach to the Defence and Security industrial sectors.
It will help retain onshore, critical industries for our national security and our future. It will help us develop advanced skills and capabilities. It will help us realise the Prime Minister’s vision of the UK as a science superpower. And with Defence Procurement benefitting every part of our Union it will help galvanise our levelling up agenda.”
Building on the outcomes of the Integrated Review and Command Paper, the new strategy provides the framework for industry to achieve those ambitions. The strategy includes:
• Increased transparency on our longer-term security priorities
• Earlier engagement with industry on potential solutions to capability requirements
• Reducing barriers to Small and Medium Enterprises
• The development of new government-to-government commercial mechanisms to sell our great defence and security exports to friends and allies
• Enhanced programme collaboration with NATO nations
• More openness and joint working to provide firms with the confidence to invest in developing new technology, products and services
• Greater efforts to promote innovation through initiatives like the Defence and Security Accelerator
In a move away from the policy of ‘global competition by default’, we will adopt a more strategic and nuanced approach in designing capabilities and acquisition strategies to ensure homegrown skills, enterprise and intellectual talents are fully harnessed. This will ensure investments in Defence benefit engineers, designers, factory workers, scientists and everyone else across the UK who contributes their critical skills to the defence and security of the UK.
This shift will allow us to decide the best acquisition and procurement of a military capability based on the technology required, our national security requirements and the prosperity benefits to the UK.
Paul Everitt, ADS Chief Executive said, “Industry has worked closely with Government to develop this strategy which lays the foundation for a defence and security industry that will have the confidence to invest in advanced capabilities needed by the UK Armed Forces and security services. Industry looks forward to working in partnership with Government on this new way forward. The greater flexibility provided by DSIS will enable the UK to develop and acquire innovative capabilities faster and more efficiently than ever before, while supporting skills and economic growth across the UK. The benefits of this approach have already been demonstrated by the Tempest programme to develop a world-leading new combat air system. The project has involved a sophisticated partnership with companies and strategic investment to develop technologies and advanced manufacturing ensuring the industry, and therefore our future force, remain world-class. The UK has a world-renowned combat air sector, which generates over £6bn a year and employs over 46,000 people, and this approach treats that as a strategic capability in its own right.”
Andrew Cowdery, Industry Co-Chair of the Defence Growth Partnership said, “The publication of the Defence and Security Industrial strategy outlines how industry can play our part in the security, growth and prosperity of the UK defence sector. The closer collaboration between Government and Industry will maximise opportunities for the global defence market to partner with international customers to deliver both innovative and competitive defence capability to our Armed Forces and the international market.”
Following the additional £24bn being invested in defence over the next four years, and the MOD’s commitment to spend over £85bn on equipment and support over the four years, this new strategy offers a real opportunity for UK industry to support thousands of high-quality jobs as we build back better from Covid-19 pandemic.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
BATTLESPACE Comment: The rhetoric to ‘buy British’ looks good but in reality, there will have to be wholesale changes in DE&S policy to ‘buy cheapest’ and also changes to SME accounting policy which limits the contract awards to SMEs if their balance sheets are not robust enough to support the Programme through its lifetime. In addition, as we will be demonstrating in a forthcoming feature, huge changes will need to be made in the treatment of Intellectual property (IP) and the ability of |SMEs to retain IP rights.

23 Mar 21. Armed Forces to be more active around the world to combat threats of the future. The UK will continue to adopt a forward presence around the world, ensuring the men and women of our Armed Forces are globally engaged, constantly campaigning and in lockstep with our Allies. As part of the major development to the UK’s Defence policy, detailed in the Command Paper, Defence in a Competitive Age, the UK’s military will increase its defence of Britain’s interests across multiple domains and in all corners of the globe.
At sea we will have more ships, submarines, sailors and Future Commando Force deployed on an enduring basis, to contribute to security, protect shipping lanes and uphold freedom of navigation.
This year’s Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo Pacific is just one example of this more confident, UK-led, highly technological, and internationally partnered effort to strengthen our alliances and national interests in a region critical to global peace and prosperity.
On land our world class Army will be spearheaded by a new special operations Ranger Regiment able to operate discreetly in high-risk environments and be rapidly deployable across the world.
Details released in the Command Paper also reveal new plans for persistent training for our Armed Forces globally which will reinforce UK’s strategic presence across the globe.
High profile defence activity this month alone demonstrates how the Armed Forces deter global threats; fresh strikes have been launched against Daesh in Iraq, a drugs bust conducted in the Northern Arabian Sea and naval operations with NATO Allies completed in the Baltic.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, “From striking Daesh terrorists in Iraq, disrupting drug shipments and deterring Russian aggression in the Baltics, our Armed Forces already reach where others cannot.
In the coming years, we will broaden the spectrum of this worldwide engagement even further. Across a vast global footprint, we will be constantly operating to deter our adversaries and reassure our friends, integrating with our Allies, and ready to fight should it be necessary.”
Future Commando Force
The Royal Navy will transform the Royal Marines into the Future Commando Force (FCF), marking an evolution from amphibious infantry held at readiness in the UK to a versatile Special Operations capable Commando force persistently forward deployed.
Receiving over £200m of direct investment across the next decade, the FCF will be optimised to conduct roles traditionally carried out by Special Forces to deliver specialist capacity building and maritime security operations, pre-empt and deter sub-threshold activity, and counter state threats.
HMS Trent
Later this year, Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent will for the first time operate from Gibraltar. From here she will be able to support NATO operations in the Mediterranean, work with our North African partners and support multinational counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. HMS Trent will be able to integrate with the French Navy through our Combined-Joint Expeditionary Force, now fully operational.
The Royal Navy already has ships forward deployed in the Caribbean, South Atlantic and Middle East. The Royal Navy will continue to enhance its forward presence with further deployments of Offshore Patrol Vessels in the future.
Royal Navy secures drugs bust
The benefits of our Armed Forces always being on the front foot beyond our borders has been demonstrated in recent weeks by Royal Navy warship HMS Montrose completing its third drugs bust in five weeks from its permanent presence in the Gulf.
On 12th March HMS Montrose, the Royal Navy’s first Forward Deployed Frigate, seized three tonnes of illicit drugs in the North Arabian Sea. The 10 hour operation seized 2800kg of hashish and 50kg of heroin, depriving criminal and terrorist networks of approximately £3.24m and restricting their ability to fund their nefarious activities.
Ranger Regiment
The British Army is establishing a special operations Brigade, the core of which will be four battalions of the new Ranger Regiment.
Over the next four years a share of £120m will be invested into the unit, enabling it to undertake roles traditionally carried out by Special Forces. They can be expected to be involved in collective deterrence such as training, advising, enabling and accompanying partner forces.
Alongside special operations, a further Brigade will be established. The Security Force Assistance Brigade to provide guidance and training to allied partner nations and draw expertise form across the Army.
Elements of each Brigade will be routinely deployed across the globe to assist partner nations in delivering defence and security.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

22 Mar 21. Who are the winners and losers in Britain’s new defense review? British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has delivered on his promise: A new defense, security and foreign policy review released March 22 calls for cuts to the Army’s end strength and aging hardware as well as the creation of new military structures and the acquisition of high-tech capabilities.
By the time Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stood up in Parliament to announce the outcome of the review, the fate of several key capabilities had already been leaked by the government over several weeks as it promoted the virtues that a data- and intelligence-driven military could bring to competing with potential adversaries like Russia, particularly in gray zone warfare.
In the government’s review, the Ministry of Defence committed to buying more than the 48 F-35B fighter jets it has already ordered, but the timeline for securing more of the aircraft is vague.
The government also unveiled a major naval shipbuilding program that calls for a multi-role ocean surveillance ship designed to protect underwater communications cables from possible Russian interference.
But older, conventional hardware in the MoD’s inventory took a hit as the military cut programs to better afford a pivot toward high-tech acquisitions in the fields of space, cyber, unmanned vehicles and artificial intelligence, among other advanced capabilities.
The Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and the Hercules C-130J military transport aircraft fleets are both being axed, while Typhoon combat jets and Challenger 2 tanks are being reduced in numbers.
Some of the takeaways:
• The Lockheed Martin UK program to update several hundred Warrior infantry fighting vehicles has been axed, before it even entered the manufacturing stage and a decade after development work began.
• The government will speed up work on the Boxer eight-wheel drive armored vehicle to introduce it into service sooner than planned, with the platform to replace the Warrior.
• Army personnel numbers are being cut by 10,000 to 72,500 by 2025 — the smallest it has been for about 200.
• Space investments will include the £5bn (U.S. $7bn) Skynet 6 program to recapitalize satellite communication capabilities. And the government wants to spend an additional £1.4bn in the space domain over the next decade, including developing a U.K.-built intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite constellation.
• Transformation of amphibious forces will include more than £50m to convert a Bay-class support ship to deliver a more lethal littoral strike capability. Force structure changes include the creation of self-sufficient brigade combat teams, boosting support of special forces with a rangers regiment, and the global deployment of security force assistance units to help stabilize nations and fight extremism.
• The concept and assessment phase for a new Type 83 destroyer will get underway to begin replacing Type 45 destroyers in the late 2030s.
• Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130J military transport aircraft, mainly used for special forces deployments, are to be taken out of service by 2023, ending an association between the British military and the tactical airlifter going back to 1967. The Airbus A400M will fill the gap.
• Twenty-four early build Typhoon combats jets, known as Tranche 1, will be retired from service.
• Nine older Chinook helicopters are to be withdrawn from service and replaced with an extended-range version.
• More than £250m is to be spent over 10 years on the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System. In addition, the Army is spending more than £800m over the next decade on a new 155mm howitzer platform.
• The Army is upgrading the Challenger 2 tank fleet at a cost of £1.3bn, but only 148 vehicles will be improved.
• The Royal Navy is to retire early two aging Type 23 frigates. Mine countermeasures are also in line for the cutting block.
But it’s the cut in end strength that has caused controversy. The Army will see a new round of personnel reductions by around 10,000 to 72,500 by 2025. Retired Adm. Mike Mullians, who served as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told listeners on the BBC radio Monday morning that the cut in manpower will likely cause “huge concern “in Washington, particularly over Britain’s ability to sustain deployments.
That’s a concern other senior U.S. officials have voiced for years amid a shrink it British Army numbers.
Howard Wheeldon, an analyst at Wheeldon Strategic Advisory, said the cut would be seen as a big mistake in terms of U.S.-British defense relations.
“The Pentagon has continually warned the U.K. government that if you expect to retain your current level of credibility, do not allow troop numbers to get any smaller. But that is just what the MoD in its infinite wisdom has chosen to do,” Wheeldon said. “While our would-be enemies — the Russians and Chinese — are probably laughing, my big fear is that the Americans are shaking their heads with disgust.”
But that take hasn’t found unanimous support. The ability of the U.S. and Britain to exchange data is a more critical capability, according the retired Rear Adm. Alex Burton, who commanded British maritime forces and surface ships.
“The true risk to the U.K. and our relationship with our allies is that transformation doesn’t happen fast enough. Two more frigates or four more infantry regiments will not make us a better ally or provide an edge between success or failure,” said Burton, now a senior executive with data technology firm Rebellion Defense. “If we are unable to network with our allies, particularly the U.S., if we are unable to exploit data, algorithms and intelligence with our allies, we will become as relevant as sail in the age of steam. Most worryingly, it makes us irrelevant to our adversaries.”
Talking to Washington-based reporters on Monday, James Heappey, armed forces minister, pushed back on the idea the review would result in a loss of capacity to work with its largest partner.
“I can’t think of anything that we currently do with the United States that we wouldn’t be intending to continue doing,” Heappey said.
“Most obviously, our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan endure, so too our commitments to countering Daesh in Syria,” he added, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. “There continues to be shared purpose in pushing back Russian influence in the North Atlantic, and that remains undiminished. But actually what I see is a set of up arrows, I see a set of up arrows in the Pacific.”
One area that could strengthen ties between the U.S. and U.K., he noted, is the creation of a new British Army ranger regiment, one modeled on the U.S. Army’s Green Beret forces.
The review plans for £120m in investments over the next four years to equip that force, the start of which Heappey said should be “up and running” by Christmas.
The new unit “doesn’t just do training and advising of partner nations forces, but actually goes and trains, advises, assists and then accompanies them into non-permissive environments, which is exactly what the Green Berets are,” Heappey said. “It’s pretty likely that we’ll find Green Berets and Rangers working alongside each other in the same environments. Sub-Saharan Africa feels like the growing market. But actually there’s still plenty to be done in places like Iraq and Afghanistan as well.”
Is it all affordable?
Overall, the out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new approach has attracted criticism.
Politicians like parliamentary Defence Committee Chair Tobias Ellwood and former military chief Gen. David Richards have both decried the purchase of high-tech weapons at the expense of traditional conventional capabilities, which they argue are still needed to deter potential adversaries.
However, Burton thinks the government is heading in the right direction. “Information data and algorithms are going to be as critical as bullets, missiles and fuel in the next war. The review recognizes that,” he said.
“This is the most comprehensive and ambitious transformation of our armed forces in over a generation. Where it has been sophisticated is that it has laid out the aspirations and ambitions the U.K. has as a nation and capabilities we need to deliver on that,” he added. “Also, reading between the lines, the review has laid out an extraordinarily [paced] timeline of delivery, so I think defense comes out really well, but the hard work is about to begin.”
The details laying out the size and shape of the military follows last week’s publication of the first part of an integrated review across defense, security, foreign policy and international development aimed at setting out the country’s future policies. The first part of the review said Britain intends to pivot its global efforts toward the Asia-Pacific region and increase its nuclear weapons stockpile.
The review echoes the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which, amid fiscal problems, saw personnel numbers cut, maritime patrol aircraft and Harrier jump jets get axed, and armored vehicle numbers reduced.
While the defense budget remains significantly overcommitted — despite several attempts to address the shortfall — the MoD is attempting this new transformation from a better financial position.
“Where this review differs from earlier efforts is the MoD has the money — an extra £24bn over the next decade. That is a bigger increase than defense has had for a generation. I don’t think the excuse now can be that there isn’t enough money,” Burton said.
The Johnson government surprised analysts, politicians and others last November by pledging to provide an additional £16.5bn over the next four financial years to help fund the transformation effort. Together with an annual 0.5 percent real-term increase in the defense budget for the six years following 2024, the MoD is likely to get an injection of additional cash totaling £24bn over the next 10 years.
Some of that money will go toward plugging a financial black hole in the 10-year equipment program, which the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reported last week could be as large as £17.4bn — a figure disputed by the MoD, which put the figure at £7.3bn.
(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
BATTLESPACE Comment: One of the biggest winners from the defence Review is RBSL the JV company between Rheinmetall and BAE Systems. It will gain orders
For a few more years supporting Warrior, 148 new turrets and the HAAIP for Challenger III and a good amount of Boxer work. WFEL will also benefit from increased Boxer work. It will be interesting to see the solution for the Boxer AFY turret solution. Will it be the Lithuanian variant using the Bushmaster or Oerlikon 30mm already in service with the Royal Navy of a CT40 version built by Lockheed Martin? The Challenger II announcement should flow with additional contracts for RBSL from Oman and Jordan to upgrade their fleets.

22 Mar 21. UK All In On FCAS Fighter In New Defense Plan.
“We’ve committed to 48, we’ll buy 48” F-35s, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say that number is still the target.
The UK’s new military modernization plan includes a proposed increase in the number of nuclear warheads, sets ambitious targets for new warships but is silent on the whether the country should buy more F-35s.
“We’ve committed to 48; we’ll buy 48,” UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, told reporters on a call this afternoon. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say if that is still the plan.
The new UK defense paper calls for a £2bn investment in the FCAS over the next four years, while the current F-35 buy wraps up in 2025. Germany’s Airbus and France’s Dassault are the primary contractors working on FCAS.
Overall, the new strategy would see the UK spend £85bn more on equipment over the next four years, while also adding more nuclear warheads to its inventory, capped at 260 warheads. That decision reverses the decade-old decision to reduce the stockpile to 180.
Part of the reason for capping the number of F-35s appears to be the pending arrival of the Future Combat Air System, a sixth-generation aircraft that’s the result of a collaboration between the UK, France, Germany and Spain. “We’ve invested heavily in our own Future Combat Air System,” Heappey said, “I think that there’s a discussion ongoing over what the exact shape of the fast air force looks like in the future, but the 48 that were signed up for the check’s in the post.”
The UK’s two new aircraft carriers were built specifically to operate the F-35, so there’s little chance of the Royal Navy moving away from the aircraft any time soon. HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to make its first deployment to the Indo-Pacific later this year, with a US Marine Corps F-35B air wing aboard, and the two nations are expected to work closely together, flying F-35s from aircraft carriers and amphibious ships in coming decades.
“I think that there is going to be a community of F-35 nations that we would be mad to ignore,” Heappey added. “We think that our carrier capability is something that we can develop alongside not just the US, but the Italians, the Japanese, and the Australians and many others who are looking at that highly capable aircraft.”
That buildup comes alongside the early retirement of two Type 23 frigates, an early scuttling of survey ships to be replaced by a new ocean survey ship more adept at monitoring subsea cables, and reducing the size of the armed forces by 10,000.
In an ambitious plan, those ships will be replaced by new Type 31 and Type 32 frigates, and the Type 26 anti-submarine frigate. The plan is for these ships to be able to swap out mission packages for the type of deployment they are tasked with, along with new ship-to-ship missiles. “For the first time since the Cold War, we are growing the size of fleet, but actually these are sort of general purpose frigates that can compete, day after day after day, rather than sort of high-end niche, billion dollar” ships that the US Navy has struggled with.
The UK is also planning on getting rid of dozens of tanks, its C-130J aircraft, about 24 of the oldest Typhoon combat aircraft, and a variety of helicopters.
The Ministry of Defence appears to be looking at the future of conflict in much the same way as the Pentagon, as a standoff fight with long-range precision weapons in which ground armor is less important.
“We’ve looked at what happened when the Turkish army went into northeast Syria with armed drones, and we’ve looked at what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Heappey said. “And what we can see there is that the nature of the close battle in the land domain has changed, and it’s really deprioritized [armor] in favor of precision deep fires.”
On a distributed battlefield, “having lots of mass doesn’t feel entirely relevant to the way that the world’s going,” he added. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

22 Mar 21. New British plan looks to boost F-35 numbers, but is it still aiming for 138?. A new defense spending plan from the British Ministry of Defence contains mixed news for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, as London pivots its gaze to its future homegrown fighter design.
The document, released Monday, stated that the U.K. plans to “grow the [F-35] Force, increasing the fleet size beyond the 48 aircraft that we have already ordered.” However, the document said nothing about previously announced plans to buy 138 of the F-35B models.
On one hand, that’s a positive sign for the fighter jet’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin: The pledge to procure more jets comes in the wake of discussions about whether the program could be capped at 48. On the other, it is far from Britain’s original pledge to buy 138 of the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing combat jets to equip the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The F-35Bs are principally scheduled to equip two new, 65,000-ton aircraft carriers.
Talking to Washington-based reporters on Monday, James Heappey, armed forces minister, did nothing to firm up the projected buy when asked directly about the 138 figure.
“We’ve committed to 48, we’ll buy 48,” Heappey said. “We’ve invested heavily in our own Future Combat Air System, which we’re developing with a number of other partner nations. I think that there’s a discussion on going over what the exact shape of the fast Air Force looks like in the future. But the 48 that were signed up for, the check’s in the post.”
While Air Marshal Richard Knighton, the deputy chief of the Defense Staff for capability, said in December that Britain knows it must “increase the number of F-35Bs to support the [Royal Navy] carrier through to its out-of-service date,” he expected to see “a definitive judgement around the total future fleet in the 2025 time frame.”
Justin Bronk, an air warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute in England, said the government’s “stated position, without details on future order plans, is probably politically unsustainable unless concrete assurances have been made to, and believed by, U.S. counterparts in private,” particularly for the U.S. Marine Corps, which is the other major user of the F-35B model.
“The U.K.’s operational requirements across the whole joint force for credible [suppression of enemy air defenses], penetrating [intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance], and strike capabilities cannot be met with 48 aircraft, especially given the latter will be heavily committed to supporting global carrier deployments,” Bronk added. “However, the lack of detail suggests funding for future orders has not yet been identified, as the government has decided to put national industrial sustainment — Tempest — ahead of operational needs in the combat air arena for the foreseeable future.”
The idea that the F-35 may see a cut due to the Future Combat Air System program, dubbed Tempest, is not a surprise. When the model for Tempest was unveiled at the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, one of the biggest questions was how the government could afford it while also maintaining its F-35 buy.
According to the review, Britain has allocated £2bn in development funding for Tempest over the next four years — a notable sum at a time the French-German-Spanish alliance to build a competing European fighter seems to be wobbling.
But the latest review emphasized Tempest not only as a future fighting capability but as a vital part of the defense-industrial base, saying the program “has already created over 1,800 new STEM jobs in over 300 companies nationwide, sustaining and supporting over 18,000 existing highly skilled jobs in the sector, as well as tens of thousands more in the wider supply chains across the UK.”
The report specifically called out Tempest as providing employment opportunities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For a decade, it’s appeared unrealistic that Britain could afford 138 F-35 jets, according to Bronk. “But the level of ambition and emphasis being signaled on Tempest probably means that the highest plausible U.K. purchase is now somewhere in the region of 60-72 jets,” he said.
Still, the F-35 remains fundamental for Britain’s plans, even if the 138 figure appears further away than anticipated. Heappey noted that the use of the plane among the American, Italian and Australian navies, among others, gives a common operating picture with which to work.
“There is going to be a community of F-35 nations that we would be mad to ignore,” he said. (Source: Defense News)

20 Mar 21. Britain says it stands with Bulgaria against ‘malign’ Russian activity. Britain said it stands with Bulgaria against “malign activity” by Russia in the country, adding that Moscow had been seeking to undermine the sovereignty of a NATO ally.
“We fully support Bulgaria’s efforts in disrupting an alleged spy ring and taking steps to tackle Russia’s hostile actions in its territory,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Twitter on Saturday.
Bulgarian prosecutors said on Friday that they had charged six Bulgarians, including senior officials from the defence ministry and military intelligence, with spying for Russia. (Source: Reuters)

22 Mar 21. Defence Outlines 2030 Vision For The UK Armed Forces
• Billions to be invested across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains
• Forces adapt to counter hybrid and conventional threats
• £85bn on equipment over next four years
• Huge benefits to British industry across the UK
The UK Defence Secretary has set out the future vision for the UK Armed Forces ensuring the military is prepared for new and emerging threats and challenges.
Outlined in ‘Defence in a competitive age’, the UK Armed Forces will become a threat-focussed integrated force with a continued shift in thinking across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.
Defence will spend over £85bn on equipment over the next four years so our Armed Forces can adapt, compete effectively, and fight decisively when needed. This will support 400,000 jobs across all four nations of the UK.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said, “This Defence Command Paper ensures our Armed Forces are threat-focused, modernised and financially sustainable. Our military will be ready to confront future challenges, seize new opportunities for Global Britain and lay the foundations of a more secure and prosperous Union. We will continue to work with allied partners to address future global security threats whilst also enhancing critical outputs in the battlespace domains. Our people and their expertise are at the heart of what we do and further investments into training, welfare and support facilities will be reflective of this and ensure our Armed Forces are well equipped to face tomorrow’s threats today.”
The Army will receive significant investment to become more agile, integrated, lethal and expeditionary. The service will receive an additional £3bn on new vehicles, long-range rocket systems, air defences, drones, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities.
£120m will create new Ranger Regiments; four battalions will form the Regiment that will support Special Forces in collective deterrence activity. This will range from training to accompanying personnel on the ground. The Army will also introduce a new Warfighting Experimentation Battlegroup that draws on elements from across the entire Army designed to fight prototype warfare, focussing on hybrid and conventional threats.
The Royal Navy will develop a new Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ship to help protect vital underwater maritime infrastructure and protect from maritime threats, aiming to come into service by 2024. The fleet of frigates and destroyers will grow through this decade with shipbuilding investment doubling over the life of this Parliament rising to over £1.7bn a year. The Royal Marines will also benefit from a £200m investment over the next ten years to form the Future Command Force, a Commando force that is persistently forward deployed conducting specialist maritime security operations.
UK air capabilities will bolstered with an injection of over £2bn in the Future Combat Air System which will deliver a pioneering mix of crewed, uncrewed and autonomous platforms including swarming drones and the ultra-modern Tempest fighter jet. This programme has already created over 1,800 highly-skilled jobs in over 300 companies across the UK. The Typhoon fleet will be upgraded with a suite of new weapons and state-of-the-art radar.
Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter said, “For the first time that I can remember we have an alignment of the ends, ways and means to modernise and transform the posture of our nation’s Armed Forces to meet the threats of a more uncertain and dangerous world. The ends were set out by the Prime Minister with the publication of the Integrated Review last week, the ways were confirmed by our new Integrated Operating Concept which was published in September, and finally the means, which were confirmed last year when Defence was given a significant multi-year settlement of £24bn. This gives us the certainty to plan for the long term and deliver the Integrated Force Structure for 2030.”
£6.6bn will also be invested into research and development projects, helping to provide a strategic advantage that, facilitated with science, will lead to cutting-edge equipment capabilities. £60m over the next four years to develop a programme to develop novel weapons, artificial intelligence, synthetic/digital systems and space-based capabilities. Further to this, £500m will be invested in capabilities to enable our forces to respond in a growingly contested electromagnetic environment.
Space is fundamental to military operations, so the success of our forces greatly relies on control of that domain. We are investing £5bn over the next decade in the Skynet 6 satellite communication programme. This will be complimented by £1.4bn allocated to the new Space Command, National Space Operations Centre, Space Academy and a UK-built Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance satellite constellation. Space Command will officially launch on 1 April 2021.
Strategic Command will invest £1.5bn over the next decade to build and sustain a ‘digital backbone’ to share and exploit vast amounts of data, through the cloud, and across secure networks that are resilient to cyber-attacks from state, proxy and terrorist adversaries.
With its people at its forefront, Defence is set to invest £1.3bn into improving Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as part of an accommodation strategy, and £1.4bn into wraparound childcare giving personnel more childcare options, as part of a revised families strategy.
The UK will also enhance its global outlook with an investment in overseas training and will add to its Defence Attaché network which supports our integration with allies and overseas partners.
The Integrated Review addresses the challenges and opportunities the UK faces in a more competitive world, where new powers are using all the tools at their disposal to redefine the international order and seeks to examine how the UK uses its capabilities to respond to these threats.
Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space, said, “We welcome the commitment in today’s Command Paper to further developing sovereign industrial capability and ‘buying British’. It is a vital step which will help us to build on our substantial industrial presence in the UK, particularly in space and satellite manufacturing, in addition to the UK skills base which we rely on to deliver our leading space services. Space is one of the key areas where the UK can positively contribute to our allies because we manufacture and operate our military satellites as one system that has given world-class service over 50 years of operation. Our space design architects are already working on the blueprints to the future space network that will underpin UK military operations over the next 25 years to work alongside commercial satellite services. The launch of Space Command also represents a significant positive step and we welcome the emphasis on space situational awareness which is crucial in protecting our sovereign assets, and we look forward to continuing to play a major role in this area. Similarly, Airbus is at the forefront of new technology in the areas of cybersecurity and unmanned systems so we support the Command Paper’s focus on these capabilities. Our solar powered Zephyr UAS is designed and built in the UK and is a world leader, opening up the stratosphere to support future defence missions and multi-domain integration while our cybersecurity teams in South Wales protect some of the most sensitive systems in the UK, ensuring that military and critical industry systems are available and secure. Airbus employs more than12,500 people in the UK – including nearly 4000 in Defence and Space. Airbus Defence Space has more than 2000 suppliers (including 700 SMEs). Airbus spends more than £300m a year in R&D in the UK, and brings some £7bn value added to the economy every year.”
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