Archive: News & Articles

A year on from the United Kingdom and Germany signing their strategic Trinity House Agreement on 23 October 2024, the two countries are further ramping up their co-operation to include joint operations to hunt Russian submarines and deeper co-ordination in the cyber domain. UK Defence Secretary John Healey and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius marked the […]

While the second prototype of Türkiye’s indigenously developed Kaan fifth-generation fighter is now well under construction, finding powerplants for production Kaan fighters is presenting manufacturer Turkish Aerospace with a problem. The second Kaan prototype was evident in the background of a photograph released by the Turkish Armed Forces Strengthening Foundation (TSKGV) on 26 September 2025. […]

In early August 2025 the United States brokered a peace agreement between long-standing rivals Armenia and Azerbaijan, bringing about a halt to decades of conflict and laying the groundwork for a new infrastructure corridor that could reshape regional connectivity and trade. Its realisation is far from certain, however, with several hurdles yet to be overcome. […]

The launch of a ground operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into Gaza City on 16 September 2025 coincided with a UN commission the same day declaring that Israel “has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”. Initiation of the ground operation saw IDF armoured units and infantry brigades entering the ruins of […]

The UK’s decision to add an air-based capability as a second national nuclear system is sending a clear deterrent message to any prospective nuclear-armed adversary, according to the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). Speaking at the DSEI 2025 conference in London on 11 September, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth said, […]

The incursion into Polish airspace on 10 September 2025 by well over a dozen Russian drones during an air attack on Ukraine, which led Polish and NATO air assets into the unprecedented action of shooting them down, has significantly ramped up tension in the region. The downing of the drones – in an operation that […]

On 24 August 2025 – Ukrainian Independence Day – the British government announced that it is extending the UK training programme for Ukrainian soldiers under Operation Interflex to at least the end of 2026. Training support and military equipment from the UK “has helped give Ukraine a crucial boost on the frontline, with Russia continuing […]

The Canadian government announced on 24 August 2025 that it will fund a USD 500 million (EUR 431 million) package of US-sourced military equipment and munitions for Ukraine under NATO’s new Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. The PURL mechanism allows European NATO countries and Canada to regularly fund the delivery of US-sourced weapons and […]

The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) published new schematics on 14 August 2025 for a new three-layer defensive line along its border with Russia. “Lithuania is shifting from individual counter-mobility measures to a unified three-echelon defence line – giving greater depth, stronger control and full NATO/EU integration at our frontier,” the MoD stated. According […]

Germany announced on 13 August 2025 that it will fund a USD 500 million (EUR 429 million) package of military equipment and munitions for Ukraine sourced from the United States under NATO’s new Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. The German announcement follows the Netherlands stating it would fund a USD 500 million PURL package […]

Thirty years since Operation ‘Storm’, Croatia’s military parade in Zagreb on 31 July 2025 was more than a patriotic display: it was a deliberate show of strength and strategic alignment. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and hardening subregional alignments, Zagreb is sending a clear message: it is ready to step up. Commemorating […]

Denmark, Norway and Sweden confirmed on 5 August 2025 that they would fund a USD 500 million (EUR 430 million) package of equipment and munitions for Ukraine sourced from the United States under NATO’s newly launched Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. The announcement swiftly followed the unveiling of the first package of artillery and […]

A perplexing recent incident in the Turkish Aegean resort of Bodrum might have left Russian President Vladimir Putin concerned about stability on his country’s southern border while he keeps Russia mired in the conflict in Ukraine. On 24 July 2025, according to Turkish media reports, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was vacationing at a five-star […]

US President Donald Trump has signalled a major shift in his administration’s support for Ukraine as it battles to stem a Russian invasion of the country now well into its third year. Meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the White House on 14 July 2025, Trump announced that he has approved the transfer […]

The United Kingdom and France are to order more Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles while stepping up work on the weapon’s replacement as part of a new refreshed Lancaster House agreement signed on 10 July 2025. The new agreement will see the UK and France commit to launching the next phase of their joint project for […]

European systems house Thales is soon to publish a white paper on how human-machine teaming (HMT) can enhance decision making and operational agility in defence, to which ESD has been afforded a preview viewing. Noting that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems across modern defence systems is leading to a profound shift […]

US President Donald Trump has reversed a suspension in the shipment of US precision munitions to Ukraine after apparently being unaware of how the suspension was implemented in the first place. During a Cabinet meeting in Washington, DC, on 8 July 2025 Trump said that the US government would continue to send defensive weapons to […]

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding strengthening bilateral defence co-operation between Poland and the Netherlands was signed by the two countries’ defence ministers in Warsaw on 7 July 2025. The MoU acknowledges the leading role of NATO in ensuring international peace and security and outlines areas of co-operation such as: defence planning and policy; shared […]

After James Taiclet, the president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, took up his post in June 2020, he asked his leadership team how Lockheed Martin should focus and position itself in terms of having an impact on deterrence. Speaking recently to ESD at the Paris Air Show on 16 June 2025, Michael Williamson, president of […]

On 1 July 2025 Steen Søndergaard began his three-year term as NATO Chief Scientist, having been appointed to the position by the North Atlantic Council earlier this year upon recommendation by the NATO Science & Technology Board (STB). As Chief Scientist, Søndergaard serves as chairman of the STB and acts as the senior scientific advisor […]

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) formally established the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) organisation on 1 July 2025 as the focal point for innovation within the ministry. The organisation will develop over the next 12 months, with further design, transition and implementation work, while determining the optimal workforce structure needed to achieve its long-term ambitions. […]