The UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on 23 June announced a £20 million ($25 million) contract to Galliford Try, for development of facilities at RAF Lossiemouth to accommodate Eurofighter Typhoons flown by 9 Squadron RAF.
Work will begin later this summer and is expected to last approximately two years, involving refurbishment of an existing hangar and construction of new technical and storage facilities.
It forms part of a wider redevelopment of RAF Lossiemouth which also includes a refurbished runway, facilities for the RAF P-8A Poseidon MPA fleet, and new and improved accommodation.
RAF Lossiemouth is now home to four squadrons of Typhoons in the QRA role. 9 Squadron stood up with Typhoons in 2019, having made the transition from Tornados.
The report comes as heads of industry bodies warn that the delayed defence spending plan has left smaller and medium sized businesses in stasis, unable to plan or seek out further investment.
Norway first scoped the requirement in 2022, and included it in a defence strategy document in 2023. The announcement of a new framework agreement appears to have breathed fresh life into the effort.
The effective use of the Shahed-136 in the Iran war has highlighted the need for countries to acquire a domestically produced, low-cost, long-range loitering munition, with the US, Turkey and European nations all at various stages of developing a similar capability.
The disagreement between French-German industry continues as both governments work to keep the programme alive and on track to develop and deliver a sixth-generation fighter jet.
The USAF is seeking on-the-move systems, subsystems or technologies capable of defending airbases and fixed and semi-fixed sites against small drone attacks.
Norway’s funding boost will help the country reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035, with autonomous systems part of the long list of priorities alongside frigate acquisition and development of a new Finnmark Brigade.
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