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Serco and Damen: A Risky Gamble with the Royal Navy
The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) decision to award a £200 million contract for 24 auxiliary vessels to Dutch shipbuilder Damen, under the wider £850 million Serco-managed support deal for Royal Navy bases, has drawn sharp criticism. While concerns about outsourcing…
MiG-31s over Estonia expose a NATO posture Moscow now expects
Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31s penetrated its airspace near Vaindloo Island on 19 September is the fourth such violation this year and the most serious to date: the jets reportedly remained inside for around 12 minutes, with transponders off,…
Estonia summons Russian envoy after MiG-31 incursion; Poland reports low passes over Petrobaltic Baltic platform
Estonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn on Friday, 19 September, after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for around 12 minutes. The Estonian Foreign Ministry issued a formal note of…
Europe Needs Its Drone Wall — Before It Is Too Late
For much of the past decade, Europe has sleepwalked into vulnerability. Our collective gaze has lingered on tanks, missiles and jets, while the quieter revolution in drone warfare has surged overhead. Drones — once the preserve of hobbyists — have…
University Cadets in Germany Reveal Britain’s Future Military Elite
It’s often said that the character of a nation is defined by its youth—by what they choose to believe, whom they choose to trust, and how far they are prepared to go. Last week, 140 UK university officer cadets from…
Trump’s Belarus overture risks confusing NATO at a fraught moment
U.S. military officers’ surprise appearance at Zapad-2025 in Belarus has jarred allies already managing drone incursions and a large Russian–Belarusian drill on NATO’s doorstep. The visit may have been designed as observation under OSCE rules, but its timing and optics…
America’s Drone Export Shift Signals a New Era of Allied Military Power
The United States’ decision to loosen export controls on military drones marks not only an industrial milestone but also a profound strategic pivot. By reinterpreting how the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) applies to unmanned aerial vehicles, Washington has taken…
Ukraine’s low-cost ‘fire-and-forget’ kit brings autonomy to the FPV battlefield
Two Ukrainian firms have begun mass production of what they describe as an inexpensive, “fire-and-forget” upgrade for first-person-view (FPV) drones, aiming to lift strike confirmation rates while keeping unit costs in the hobby-class bracket. Drone maker Vyriy is integrating The…
China Spy Case Collapse Casts Questions Over UK’s Ability To Safeguard National Interests
The intelligence community is reeling after British authorities abandoned charges against two men suspected of spying for China, raising troubling questions about the United Kingdom’s resolve and effectiveness in addressing foreign espionage threats. Christopher Cash, a former researcher for Conservative MP…
Eastern Sentry Looks Reactive as Russian Drones Test NATO’s Eastern Flank
Repeated air alerts in Poland and Romania this week, coupled with NATO’s launch of the Eastern Sentry mission, underscore an alliance still reacting to events rather than shaping them. On 9–10 September, Poland became the first NATO member state to…