Archive: News & Articles

More than two and a half years into the Russo-Ukrainian War, both nations have endured significant human losses while making minimal territorial gains. The conflict has evolved considerably, though neither Russia nor Ukraine are fighting as they did at the war’s outset in 2022. A noticeable shift toward innovative warfare and technology is evident. Ukraine […]

The problems and prospects for CBRN over the next decade, as seen by seasoned expert Dan Kaszeta. Looking to the future, the author examines why separate protective suits might vanish, why every vehicle could become a CBRN sensor, and how treating these threats as an operational condition could radically reshape thinking and attitudes on CBRN […]

In July 2024, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) hosted a recovery capability focused event at the company’s main production facility in Vienna, Austria. While primarily for users and potential users of RMMV’s recovery solutions, the final session of the event was set aside for a small group of invited military-specific journalists. Here, the company demonstrated […]

Nearly 30 years after the UK first became involved with the Boxer, it is now on the cusp of entering service with the British Army. With more orders in the pipeline, the Boxer programme will be critical to the future of the army and the UK’s armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) industry. By and large, the […]

As of early August 2024, with the British Army reporting the completion of its first firing-on-the-move trial on Ajax, the overall outlook for the British Army’s long-troubled programme appears more optimistic. As a high-profile programme, Ajax has served as a posterchild for the MoD’s procurement woes over the last few years. However, Ajax is far […]

Like other major armed forces, the British Army is systematically seeking to incorporate advanced autonomous unmanned platforms into its formations. Future Soldier The British Army operates numerous unmanned systems. Major applications include explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), as well as aspects of intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance (ISTAR). The extensive current inventory includes the man-portable Dragon […]

The British Army intends to embark on a number of procurement programmes in the mobility sector, which include the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Light and the LTMP Medium. Subsumed into these efforts is the former General Support Utility Programme (GSUP), which was aimed at finding a replacement for the Land Rover fleet and similar […]

The election of a new Labour government on 4 July 2024 offers the opportunity for a change of direction at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the potential for the much-needed reform of the British procurement system. The task of addressing the dysfunction of the MoD and the procurement system falls on the shoulders of […]

NATO is currently faced with a shortage of military bridging systems. This state of affairs has been brought sharply into focus by the War in Ukraine where rivers and waterways have become dividing lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The inability to cross water gaps is one of the major limiting factors in any offensive […]

One abiding aspect of warfare and terrorism involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons is that many of them persist for a long time after use. Many, but not all, CBRN materials can pose a contamination hazard for hours, days, weeks, or even months, depending on the material used, the material contaminated, and environmental […]

HELMA-P, HELIOS, HELCAP, SSL-TM, ODIN, these acronyms represent just a sample of the multiple ongoing High Energy Laser (HEL) programmes in France and the US. Many other programmes – such as, DragonFire in the UK – are progressing worldwide, albeit at varying paces, in a bid to outpace potential opponents on the road to HELs. […]

With the historic June 2024 signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Lithuania and Rheinmetall for the establishment of a new ammunition plant, ESD’s Stephen Barnard (SB) had the opportunity to speak with representatives of the Lithuanian government during Eurosatory 2024. Namely, with Vice-Minister of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, […]

Russia’s recent military aggression has created many problems for European leaders, and not all of them come from the most obvious direction to the East. The other growing challenge for NATO involves the vast North. The Arctic is becoming a venue for geopolitical, economic, diplomatic and potentially military disputes as never before. The warming planet […]

Since at least late-2022, Ukraine’s ingenuity and necessity led it to experiment with maritime uncrewed systems (MUSs) or what in ordinary language are referred to as ‘sea drones’. These have had a profound impact on its efforts to combat Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. In October 2022, Ukrainian video footage surfaced, obtained through GoPro-style camera mounted […]

It will be difficult to identify true turning points in the Ukraine war. Instead, we should look to understand the trajectory of the war from multiple perspectives. This piece examines the current situation in Ukraine, and what things may begin to look like going forward. Social media-fuelled optimism Viewed through the camera of a drone, […]

On 6 August 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) surprised many by staging a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast, bringing the fight to Russian soil. The stretch of border where the incursion occurred was largely weakly-defended, largely by conscripts and guards from the Russian Border Service. Fairly quickly, the Ukrainian force managed to […]

With the understanding that the Russo-Ukrainian War has transitioned into a protracted phase and that the Russian army’s command has adopted a war of attrition strategy, the capabilities of the Russian Military Industrial Complex (MIC) have become one of the central issues among others that allow for assessing the course and prospects of the armed […]

The War in Ukraine has pushed Poland to significantly boost its military spending. This represents a substantial opportunity for the Polish defence industry, which is now operating at full capacity. The industry is also counting on new orders and investments. The War in Ukraine, which escalated to the point of full-scale invasion in February 2022, […]

The Kursk operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces brought an unexpected turn to the ongoing war. At the time of writing, within just over a week, the Ukrainian Army has successfully captured more land than the Russian armed forces were capable of since the outset of their offensive in Kharkiv region early May 2024. As […]

In June 2024, ESD got the chance to sit down with General (ret.) Thomas Antonius Middendorp, of the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces to discuss his thoughts on the links between climate change and security challenges, as well as the benefits to be gained by modern militaries through the adoption of ‘green’ technologies. General Middendorp has […]

In recent years, Poland has launched the largest modernisation programme for its armed forces in history. However, not all widely publicised announcements have resulted in binding orders. Impending financial difficulties also raise doubts about these ambitious plans. In July 2024, Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda stated that it was his “dream” for Poland’s […]