Defence Blog Posts

Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced that Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard has been awarded a contract to carry out the first planned dry-dock maintenance of Britain’s largest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. The contract worth £5 million, will see the 65,000-tonne carrier to undergo a routine, planned hull survey and maintenance of her underwater systems over a […]

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MBDA has successfully demonstrated the use of the Mistral missile against fast boats such as FIACs (Fast Inshore Attack Craft). A number of foreign delegations attended the demonstration firing that was performed from a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret firing from the land against a fast moving remotely-controlled semi-rigid boat more than three kilometres off the coast. The […]

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The US Navy has officially commissioned its newest freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Wichita. During a ceremony held at Naval Station Mayport in Florida – where the USS Wichita will one day be based – US Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas delivered the principal address. In time-honored US Navy tradition, ship’s sponsor Kate […]

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The US Air Force has accepted the first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft, setting the stage for the aircraft’s delivery to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas in the coming weeks. During extensive flight testing, six KC-46 completed more than 3,800 flight hours and offloaded more than four million pounds of fuel to A-10, […]

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General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a $714 million contract to upgrade 174 additional M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks to the M1A2 System Enhancement Package Version 3 (SEPv3) configuration on behalf of the US Army. According to General Dynamics, this recent award brings the total number of M1A2 SEPv3 tanks ordered by the US […]

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Boeing has been contracted to comprehensively upgrade the Spanish CH-47D Chinook helicopter fleet and introduce the more modern F-model configuration. 17 Chinooks are to be upgraded by Boeing, bringing digital automatic flight control systems, common avionics architecture and advanced cargo handling capability to the Spanish fleet. As the first order placed by a non-US customer, […]

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The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has revealed that Britain’s combat air power has reached new heights whilst speaking in a brand-new hangar displaying one-hundred years of fighter jets. Speaking at RAF Marham, the Defence Secretary announced the UK now has nine F-35 Lightning jets ready to be deployed on operations around the world. The F-35 […]

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Former service personnel suffering from PTSD or other mental illnesses will be prioritised for social housing under proposals published for consultation by Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire. The measures will also help people who divorce or separate from their partners in the Armed Forces by exempting them from rules requiring them to be a local resident […]

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BAE Systems is to provide essential mission system support to the UK Royal Navy’s largest ever warships, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince Of Wales, as part of an updated integration services agreement. Through an addition to the Naval Combat Systems Integration Support Services (NCSISS) contract, BAE Systems will ensure both aircraft carriers are kept ready […]

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Leidos has been awarded a contract by the US Naval Medical Logistics Command to provide research support services at its Naval Health Research Center (NHRC). The single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a potential value of approximately $57.7 million if all options are exercised. NHRC optimises the operational […]

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The Head of the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Dr Lucy Mason, is the latest name confirmed to appear at Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2019, which will take place for the first time at Birmingham’s NEC on 28 March. Dr Lucy will speak at the DPRTE Keynote Arena, which will host a […]

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The government is moving forward with plans to give police new powers to tackle drones misuse and abuse, with the publication of their response to the drones consultation. Following over 5,000 responses to the consultation, new legislation will give police officers the additional power to land drones and require users to produce the proper documentation. The police […]

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Northrop Grumman has received a $3.6 billion indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) award for Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) systems and support from the US Air Force. Under the IDIQ, the Air Force may issue task or delivery order awards up to the ceiling amount specified in the contract. Work is set to conclude in […]

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