UK command paper’s new acquisition timeline a ‘laudable aim’ amid economic gloom: Analysts

UK command paper’s new acquisition timeline a ‘laudable aim’ amid economic gloom: Analysts
UK command paper’s new acquisition timeline a ‘laudable aim’ amid economic gloom: Analysts

In its new paper, the British Ministry of Defence is “trying to make a virtue of fundamental and structural weaknesses” associated with spending and equipment problems, analyst Joshua Huminski told Breaking Defense.

Command paper: UK to invest nearly $3.5B in new weapons stockpiles

Command paper: UK to invest nearly $3.5B in new weapons stockpiles
Command paper: UK to invest nearly $3.5B in new weapons stockpiles

Under the new plans, the MoD also vowed to become a “science and technology superpower” by enhancing robotics, human augmentation and directed energy weapons capabilities.

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Avenues of opportunity abound for Europe, the High North, and Indo-Pacific allies to counter adversaries

Avenues of opportunity abound for Europe, the High North, and Indo-Pacific allies to counter adversaries
Avenues of opportunity abound for Europe, the High North, and Indo-Pacific allies to counter adversaries

Nations looking for the most advanced technologies in air and missile defense, ISR, and systems integration have a trusted partner in Northrop Grumman.

UK’s Excalibur test bed hits phase 2, flight target set for 2026

UK’s Excalibur test bed hits phase 2, flight target set for 2026
UK’s Excalibur test bed hits phase 2, flight target set for 2026

Leonardo UK and 2Excel recently won a $150 million contract for the converted 757 aircraft to be packed with tech.

Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman

Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman
Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman

“The destruction of a satellite may not have that same public effect as a missile attack into a civilian population, but from a military standpoint, you’ve still definitely created an act of war,” said Gen. Chance Saltzman.

‘An absolute folly’: UK lawmakers’ scathing report on E-7 Wedgetail acquisition

‘An absolute folly’: UK lawmakers’ scathing report on E-7 Wedgetail acquisition
‘An absolute folly’: UK lawmakers’ scathing report on E-7 Wedgetail acquisition

Though the UK will get three planes instead of five, the procurement report estimates that the E-7 program will cost $2.5 billion, only marginally less costly than the $2.7 billion agreed in the original order.

UK reducing New Medium Helicopter buy to 25-35 aircraft: Airbus exec

UK reducing New Medium Helicopter buy to 25-35 aircraft: Airbus exec
UK reducing New Medium Helicopter buy to 25-35 aircraft: Airbus exec

“We haven’t seen training requirements and there’s a whole plethora of different chapters that are yet to come, but the MoD has been as good as they can be in drip feeding us information,” said Lenny Brown, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters UK

UK defense minister Ben Wallace to step down later this year

UK defense minister Ben Wallace to step down later this year
UK defense minister Ben Wallace to step down later this year

Wallace has led the British defense ministry since July 2019.

UK official sees ‘unique’ partnership chances for next-gen fighter

UK official sees ‘unique’ partnership chances for next-gen fighter
UK official sees ‘unique’ partnership chances for next-gen fighter

“I think it’s a richness of our collective response that we are able to develop what might appear on the surface to be competitive solutions, whether that’s F-35, NGAD, the Franco German cooperation, or our program,” said Richard Berthon, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Director of Future Combat Air.

Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official

Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official
Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official

The leap to quantum tech will be a “tank versus cavalry, machine guns versus humans moment,” said UK’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey.

From cargo to cockpit: A KC-46A crew’s thoughts about the plane’s potential tanker rival

From cargo to cockpit: A KC-46A crew’s thoughts about the plane’s potential tanker rival
From cargo to cockpit: A KC-46A crew’s thoughts about the plane’s potential tanker rival

Speaking to Breaking Defense fresh off a tour of a French MRTT, a KC-46A Pegasus pilot and boom operator discussed some of the pros and cons between the plane that’s the basis for Lockheed’s LMXT and their own Pegasus tanker.