Archive: News & Articles

From 15 to 19 March 2023 units of the Chinese, Iranian and Russian navies conducted joint naval manoeuvres in the sea area between Muscat (Oman) and Chahbahar (Iran). Ten vessels took part in the exercise, which was dubbed ‘Maritime Safety Belt’, according to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence, which stated “From the […]

Reflecting a strategy adjustment outlined in the US Financial Year 2024 Defense Budget request submitted to Congress on 9 March 2023, a top US Department of Defense (DoD) procurement official has stressed the need to make fostering a resilient and robust defence-industrial base a priority. Speaking on 15 March at a McAleese-sponsored event in Washington, […]

In March 2023, ESD interviewed Clarion Defence and Security, the organisers of DSEI Japan. Answers to ESD’s questions were provided by James Samuel, Director of DSEI Japan. James started his career at Reed Exhibitions back in 2001 with senior leadership positions at UBM, Tarsus and GovNet. James is currently working at Clarion Events where he […]

Reported nuclear co-operation between China and Russia was one of a number of strategic threats to the United States outlined during an 8 March 2023 hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. With the subcommittee convened to discuss the US military’s financial year 2024 Strategic Forces Posture, its chairman, US Representative Doug […]

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) published an update of its report to parliament on the status of programmes related to the United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent on 8 March 2023. The main sections of the report cover production of the Royal Navy’s future fleet of four Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), upgrades to […]

The US Marine Corps (USMC) has awarded BAE Systems a USD 256.8 M (EUR 240.55 M) contract for more Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs), the company announced on 6 March 2023. The award, which is the third full-rate production (FRP) order for the vehicle, includes USD 145.3 M for more than 25 ACV Personnel (ACV-P) variants, […]

The UK defence acquisition process is out of date and dysfunctional, a paper published by Risk management consultancy Redstone Risk on 6 March 2023 has asserted. Titled ‘Unwrapping the Riddle of Defence Acquisition in the United Kingdom’, the report outlines the fundamental changes Redstone says are required to optimise defence acquisition in the UK. It […]

Ukraine’s invasion prompted unprecedented military co-operation across the NATO landscape and a strengthening of the organisation. Germany massively increased its arms budget, while Finland and Sweden applied to join the alliance. With Saab Group substantially representing the face of Sweden’s defence-industrial complex, ESD decided to interview defence policy expert Fredrik Hassel, Senior Public Affairs Advisor […]

‘Mosi II’, the trilateral exercise in South African waters involving the Russian Navy, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the South African National Defence Forces came to an end on 27 February 2023. Despite the prospect being hyped of Russia firing a Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile during the exercise, such a launch ultimately did […]

BAE Systems Inc in the United States has secured a USD 219 M (EUR 206.55 M) contract to supply five Mk 45 Maritime Indirect Fire Systems (MIFS) for UK Royal Navy (RN) Type 26 frigates, the company announced on 28 February 2023. The system combines BAE’s 127 mm/L62 (5-inch) Mk 45 Mod 4A gun with […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has been selected to support the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF’s) Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) Trial Operation Project, the US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer announced on 27 February 2023. The project will feature GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAV and will begin in April 2023. The […]

Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) has signed a EUR 1 Bn contract with Angola to supply a fleet of BR71 MKII corvettes to the Angolan Navy, parent company EDGE Group announced at IDEX 2023 on 20 February 2023. Although the number of corvettes was not mentioned by EDGE in its press release, ADSB CEO David […]

In a historic first Israel and the United Arab Emirates have collaborated to produce a new optionally manned surface vessel that was demonstrated at the NAVDEX 2023 exhibition, held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 24 February 2023. The new craft, which can operate completely autonomously, is the fruition of a co-operation agreement signed a […]

The six new dive support boats provided to the UK Royal Navy (RN) by Dorset-based Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) are now all operational, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation announced on 22 February 2023. The 15 m-long dive support boats, which are variants of AEUK’s SEA-class vessels, were procured under […]

On 21 February 2023 Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), an entity operating under the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) EDGE Group, announced at the Naval Defence & Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX 2023) in Abu Dhabi that it has been awarded an AED 175 M (EUR 44.94 M) contract to provide inshore patrol craft for the UAE’s […]

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) gave some insight into current UK defence spending on 22 February 2023 with the release of its UK Defence in Numbers 2022 publication. The report stated that UK defence spending for Financial Year 2021/22 (FY21/22) was GBP 45.9 Bn, although this figure does not reflect an uptick in spending […]

The Netherlands recently prevented a possible sabotage operation against maritime installations in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, it has emerged. In a media briefing on 20 February 2023 Major General Jan Swillens, director of the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), reported on activities “last autumn” related to an intelligence operation by a Russian […]

One outcome of the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting on 14-15 February 2023 was the establishment of a co-ordination cell to protect critical underwater infrastructure. Among the few details in the announcement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was that the new cell would be headed by retired German Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann, who was director […]

HMS Anson, the UK Royal Navy’s fifth Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), headed out to sea for the first time on 19 February 2023, its manufacturer, BAE Systems, announced later that day. HMS Anson left BAE Systems’ shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbia, and made its maiden voyage to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde in Faslane, Scotland, […]

On 17 February 2023 the trilateral naval exercise ‘Mosi II’ began in which, up to 27 February, Chinese, Russian and South African naval units will conduct manoeuvres off the east coast of South Africa in the area between Durban and the border with Mozambique. The first ‘Mosi’ deployment involved the three navies exercising in the […]

As the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February approaches, the launch in London on 15 February 2023 of The Military Balance 2023 – the annual assessment by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) of military power around the globe – inevitably had a major focus on the effects of the conflict. […]