UK Ministry of Defense

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.

Rolls-Royce says it has completed a milestone of 100 test events with its Orpheus engine.

The UK Defense Ministry has lifted the lid on the second ground-based air defense system it has rapidly developed for use in Ukraine referred to as Raven.

The UK Defense Ministry has begun exploring the market to find a replacement for the Crowsnest helicopter-borne airborne-early-warning radar system.

The UK’s EH101 Merlin rotorcraft fleet will be supported under a £165 million ($213.1 million) two-year extension awarded to Leonardo Helicopters.

France, Italy and the UK have agreed to accelerate delivery of Aster air and missile defense interceptors as part of a top-up order for 218 additional missiles.

The news of additional defense spending will undoubtedly be welcomed within the UK Defense Ministry, but in truth, it probably does not go far enough.

Airbus has secured the deal to provide the British military with an SAR system as part of the UK’s effort to build up indigenous Earth-observation capacity.

Saab is in talks with the UK Defense Ministry to potentially upgrade its Giraffe Agile Multibeam Radar system that would boost its operationally utility after more than a decade of service.