UK Ministry of Defense

London wants to buy more Thales air defense missiles to aid Gulf allies drawn into the Iran war and convened talks with industry to see what more could be done.

The UK is starting to plan the potential procurement of a specialist counter-UAS capability under its much larger Land Ground-Based Air Defense program.

The UK’s new fleet of Leonardo AW149 utility helicopters will not reach initial operating capability for at least another five years, ministers have revealed.

The UK is looking for weapons that can take out both drone boats and UAS in its latest push to rapidly add effectors to handle these growing threats.

The UK has said it plans to award Leonardo a contract for 23 AW149 helicopters in a boost to the Yeovil, England, production site.

France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK have agreed to pursue lower-cost air defense interceptors jointly.

British defense energetics company Chemring has posted a sharp drop in first-quarter order intake as the company faces spending delays in the UK.

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.