DEFENCE BUDGETS
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Keir Starmer Promises Rearmament While His Government Unravels
For a Prime Minister fighting for his political life, there is nothing quite so comforting as a large number with a pound sign in front of it. Sir Keir Starmer’s reported £18 billion “boost” to defence spending has all the…
Taiwan Defence Budget Delay Raises Capability Gap Concerns
Taiwan’s parliament has approved a reduced supplementary defence package, prompting concern in Washington and warnings in Taipei that delays to domestic drone, missile and air defence projects could weaken deterrence against China. Taiwan’s delayed supplementary defence budget has exposed a…
European Combat Vessel workshop tests industry role in future naval capability
A three-day European Combat Vessel industry workshop in Cádiz brings together EU governments, maritime communities and shipbuilding representatives to shape a future modular combat vessel intended for the 2040s. European defence officials and industry representatives are meeting in Spain this…
EU and Ukraine Move BraveTech into Testing Phase for Battlefield Technologies
The European Defence Agency will lead the next phase of the EU-Ukraine defence innovation initiative, under a €35 million agreement focused on testing emerging technologies against operational scenarios drawn from the war in Ukraine. The European Defence Agency and the…
European defence spending jumps as governments respond to prolonged insecurity
Newly published data show global military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, with Europe recording a 14 per cent rise as NATO members, Russia and Ukraine continued to expand defence budgets. Global military expenditure rose again in 2025, with Europe…
France and Poland launch joint military satellite project as Gdańsk summit sharpens defence agenda
France and Poland used their first bilateral summit under the Treaty of Nancy to widen defence cooperation, backing a joint military communications satellite project, closer industrial coordination and a broader strategic dialogue on European security. France and Poland moved to…
War Stocks Lose Firepower: Investors Rethink Europe’s Defence Boom as Battlefield Realities Shift
For much of the past four years, Europe’s defence sector has enjoyed the sort of investor enthusiasm usually reserved for Silicon Valley. War, or the fear of it, proved a reliable stimulant. From the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…
Wartime Economy: Washington’s uneasy pivot to industrial mobilisation
The spectacle of Washington courting Detroit is not new. It carries the unmistakable echo of another era, when American industry was marshalled with urgency and purpose, and assembly lines once devoted to civilian comforts were repurposed for national survival. However,…
Ankara presses case for inclusion in Europe’s defence projects
Turkey is pressing for a wider role in Europe’s defence architecture as NATO allies reassess capability, industrial resilience and the future balance of responsibility between Europe and the United States. The issue has gained renewed relevance because of Ankara’s position…
IMF puts defence spending and conflict economics at centre of April outlook release
The IMF released analytical chapters on 8 April examining the macroeconomics of defence spending, conflict and recovery, placing security-driven fiscal pressures at the centre of its spring outlook cycle. The International Monetary Fund placed defence spending, conflict and post-war recovery…