Archive: News & Articles

Investment in naval surface-to-surface guided weapons (SSGWs) has fallen behind since the end of the Cold War but recent projects aim to modernise missile capabilities and adapt them for the emerging operational environment. Meanwhile naval gun systems are also proving to offer a useful all-round multi-mission fire support and air defence capability for warships, being […]

Threats to surface fleet vessels are more numerous and potentially devastating than at any time in naval history, with a ship’s survivability a fundamental consideration that begins at the concept and design stages of a vessel’s existence. Watching the horizon. Today’s threats to surface ships will come from all directions, fast, and in potentially high-density […]

Submarine rescue systems, both new and old, along with related, advanced equipment and technologies, offer the undersea world of submariners more reassurance of being rescued from a disabled submarine than ever. Yet, constant training and practice in the use of such systems are required to ensure ‘time to first rescue’ is minimised. This article takes […]

Submersible vessels capable of both surface and underwater operations provide flexible options for Special Operations Forces. They are considerably smaller than conventional attack submarines, and serve a variety of mostly specialised mission types. Special Operations Forces (SOFs) are the primary users of manned submersibles, which have popularly been referred to as miniature/midget submarines or mini-subs. […]

Combat divers, expertly trained and resilient, rely on a wide range of kit, tough enough to support the execution of typically arduous, covert ops. From rebreathers to compressed gas systems, tactical dive submersibles and more, the gear used by the combat diver enables extreme missions to be undertaken, while ensuring that optimum life support and […]

Uncrewed surface vessel (USV) operations amongst NATO members are undergoing something of a sea change, due in large part to lessons learned from the maritime components of the ongoing Russo–Ukraine war. At the recent Portuguese Navy-led, NATO co-hosted ‘REPMUS 2024’ (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) exercise held at Troia, southern Portugal, Allied […]

Warfighting in a saturated radio spectrum places a premium on command and control, and spectrum management. The US Joint Electromagnetic Battle Management system should help both. War may be raging in Ukraine but, for the most part, cell phone coverage is available. Broadcasters near the front transmit their footage and reports across satellite links. SpaceX’s […]

From Russian missile barrages in Ukraine, to Houthi drones and US programmes the author explores how stand-off weapons are changing modern warfare, and the shape of things to come. A carefully planned and successfully delivered strike with stand-off weapons can change the trajectory of a war. For example, the pressure on Ukraine to withstand Russia’s […]

Much attention has been lavished on Russia’s strategic cyberwarfare waged against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure. Russia’s use of cyberwarfare at tactical and operational levels, particularly in the land domain, receives less coverage, but has important implications for NATO and its Allies. London’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinktank recently published a paper by Daniel Black, […]

Driven in large part by the increasing proliferation of drones and loitering munitions, recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in very short-range/short-range air defence (V/SHORAD). This article examines recent developments in the field of V/SHORAD radars, as well as the direction these innovations are taking, and their growing significance on the modern battlefield. […]

A rapidly-changing strategic landscape demands additional flexibility from global and regional actors. President Biden’s mantra in his first days in the White House – “America is back” – indicated the renewed involvement of the USA in world affairs. It also meant that the US modus operandi as the most advanced actor in the great power […]

Over the past two years of war in Ukraine, a fairly broad consensus has emerged that small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), along with loitering munitions and low-cost alternatives such as first-person view (FPV) drones have drastically increased the risks to armoured vehicles on the battlefield. Given their low costs and high numbers, there is general […]

When the US Army terminated its Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) effort in early 2024, beyond cancelling an individual programme, the decision might also have indicated that the sun may have set on the armed reconnaissance helicopter as a viable type for the 21st century battlefield. On 8 February 2024 the US Army announced […]

Western nations continue to develop ground-launched hypersonic weapon systems (HWS). However, despite some incremental success, testing and fielding have progressed more slowly than anticipated. By definition, hypersonic weapons travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (1,715 m/s). While there are many weapons which meet this definition, such as ballistic missiles, the ‘hypersonic’ label is primarily […]

The US Army continues to (mostly) make progress with its core set of priority modernisation programmes, although it has made some adjustments to accommodate both technological challenges and budgetary constraints. In 2017, the Army identified 31 modernisation efforts as top priority programmes essential for military transformation. Subsequently another four development and acquisition programmes were added […]

The US Army is developing a modular robotic combat vehicle that is comparatively light and manoeuvrable, while still suitable for a variety of missions. The Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Campaign Plan was established in January 2019 to develop a family of three armed uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) of varying size and with distinct capability and […]

In September 2024, ESD got the chance to conduct an interview with Bell Textron Inc. personnel. The interview was conducted by Ian Frain. ESD: Congratulations on recent achievements in both the military (Milestone B for the V-280 Valor/FLRAA,) and parapublic marketplace (Bell 505 and Bell 407Gxi to law enforcement agencies) – how would you sum […]

Concealment is critical to survivability, but hiding effectively on the battlefield, whether troops or vehicles, day or night, is no longer as clear-cut as it once was. Hiding from the enemy and staying out of sight with the help of good camouflage is a basic requirement for survival in war. Using natural, or local cover […]

In 2023, Project EVEREST demonstrated how UK land forces could improve their sharing of data between disparate systems. Plans are now underway for a new, bigger EVEREST experiment that aims to deepen resilient connectivity and compress the decision-action loop. L3Harris Technologies conducted its first EVEREST experiment in 2023, a large demonstration of capability available today […]

Security of supply and strategic stockpiling are topping today’s agenda in civilian and military settings. Less debated but no less important, is the strategic pre-positioning of war reserve materiel near the points of need. According to DoDD 3110.07, Prepositioned War Reserve Materiel (PWRM) is “war reserve materiel and equipment strategically located to facilitate a timely […]

The concept of arming individual soldiers with grenades to increase their firepower is not new.; what we recognise today as the predecessor of the modern grenade emerged centuries ago as gunpowder, later becoming a major factor on the battlefield. For some, the concept of the grenade actually predates the gunpowder era; in Byzantium an incendiary […]