UK Ministry of Defense

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

The UK’s efforts to rearm are marching at two beats—one fast-paced, another glacial.

The UK has shortlisted seven bidders in its hunt to find an ACP that could operate as a loyal wingman to its Boeing Apache attack helicopters in the 2030s.

The UK Defense Ministry is opening a competition for a low-cost interceptor, echoing wider efforts among militaries to field ways to more cheaply defeat the threat from drones and loitering munitions.

Some of the UK RAF Eurofighter fleet is set to receive an advanced AESA radar under a $610 million contract.

The UK says its effort to rapidly develop a conventional ballistic missile under the recently launched Project Nightfall is aimed at arming Ukraine.

GKN Aerospace and Anduril have teamed up to work together on autonomous collaborative platforms (ACP) for use by the UK military.

Bidders looking to vie for the UK Defense Ministry’s Project Nightfall ballistic missile development have until Dec. 18 to raise their hands.

The integration of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile onto the CTOL Lockheed Martin F-35 has advanced, with ground-based testing beginning.

The UK Defense Ministry has cancelled an upgrade for its secretive fleet of Raytheon Shadow ISR aircraft, citing cost escalations and delays.

The Defense Ministry is looking to set up a single unit to manage its satellites, creating an opportunity for closer cooperation between ISR and satcoms programs.

The UK defense ministry says it will invest in technology to detect lasers being aimed at spacecraft.

Startup Certo Aerospace, developing an uncrewed co-axial rotorcraft, has won a UK Defense Ministry contract to demonstrate logistics and medevac capabilities.

The UK Defense Ministry is seeking a low-cost tactical ballistic missile capable of hitting targets about 370 mi. away, with a price tag of around $675,000.

The UK is looking to build out its ground-based air defenses and seeking a lead systems integrator as part of the effort.

The UK issued an urgent request for information to industry for a low-cost means to engage jet-powered one-way-attack drones Russia is using against Ukraine.

The British Army has begun to engage with industry on the acquisition of an autonomous collaborative platform to operate alongside its Apache helicopters.

The UK is proceeding with a program to replace its Grob G115 Tutor elementary training aircraft and plans to launch a formal tender next October.

Russia has launched a crash program to harden military airfields near the border with Ukraine in response to Kyiv’s successful strikes with one-way attack UAS.

The UK is adding trials of high-altitude balloons to its effort deploy stratospheric capabilities for intelligence gathering and communications functions.

The UK government will lay out plans to slash fielding times for most equipment in a bid to be more responsive, says UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard.

An audit of the UK’s F-35 program shows it continues to suffer from delays in deliveries, capability enhancements and reliability shortfalls.

The UK is providing Ukraine with additional surface-to-air missiles, paid for with the interest from seized Russian assets.

The new UK Strategic Defense Review is clear on threats and what is needed to deal with them, but opaque on how and when these measures will be funded.

Teasing the long-awaited Strategic Defense Review to be published June 2, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK needs to bolster its defense industrial base.