Defence Notes
New opportunities for defence firms as EU steps up support for Ukraine
11th February 2026
The European Commission is looking for startups and other innovators to address challenges across the land, air and sea domains.
Latest news
Air Warfare
GCAP remains bright spot in UK rearmament efforts as international prospects widen
Funding for the programme is secure – for now – while future opportunities to join Japan, Italy and the UK could tempt other Western partners to join the joint fighter development project.
Naval Warfare
As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging
Research programmes and system procurement efforts to counter uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle threats are accelerating as naval drone uptake spreads.
Air Warfare
Electric and hybrid aerial drone fleets are expanding their footprint
Advances in uncrewed aerial vehicles powered by renewable technologies are coming to the fore, with battery, hydrogen and solar propulsion challenging traditional fossil fuel-dependent models.
Naval Warfare
UK’s Fleet Solid Support ship programme deemed on track despite steel supply concerns
Shipbuilders are saying the programme is going ahead on time as the government estimates 7.7 million tonnes of steel are needed for 2026 infrastructure projects.
Naval Warfare
UK’s Fleet Solid Support ship programme deemed on track despite steel supply concerns
30th January 2026
Shipbuilders are saying the programme is going ahead on time as the government estimates 7.7 million tonnes of steel are needed for 2026 infrastructure projects.
Defence Notes
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
6th January 2026
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
Air Warfare
Advances in HALE/MALE systems prove the sky is not the limit for drones
10th October 2025
Drone systems are multiplying at high altitudes as designers turn out new components and subsystems that let units operate there.
Land Warfare
The integration between drones and land vehicles is accelerating
17th September 2025
Drones and military ground vehicles are increasingly being designed to operate together as a single platform or even to convert crewed systems to automated ones.
Land Warfare
Companies and militaries look to artificial intelligence to improve support of equipment
22nd August 2025
Companies are turning to rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to to reduce maintenance times and costs and increase operational hours and tempo.
Air Warfare
How unconventional warfare demands are changing the CUAS and drone development landscape
14th August 2025
The use of drones in unconventional ways is accelerating technological advances and countermeasures as military planners try to stay ahead of the drone revolution in military affairs.
Land Warfare
Kyiv works to replicate unmanned air success with ground vehicles
8th August 2025
The conflict in Ukraine has seen the country’s defence firms emerge as technological innovators in response to the Russian invasion of the country in 2022. The drone war in the air has been a significant development while the efforts on the ground have been less acknowledged.
Land Warfare
Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield
12th March 2025
Full electrification of their land and air vehicles may be beyond modern militaries for now. But how close are they to the tipping point of the widespread use of electric vehicles?
Uncrewed Vehicles
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
6th March 2025
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
Air Warfare
How air forces are embracing augmented reality technology to maintain skillsets
24th February 2025
Augmented reality (AR) systems are helping combat pilots and other air force personnel gain, maintain or improve their various skillsets.
Land Warfare
UK and US militaries advance mobile directed energy weapon systems
4th February 2025
Recent tests have demonstrated how the UK and US armed forces have been scaling DEWs for mobile field-based operations.
