UK to respond with “swift and robust action” to any Chinese aggression March 13, 2023 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Chinese posturing over Taiwan risk creating a world “defined by danger, disorder and division”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned today. Britain is committed to “swift and robust action” to counter any threat to UK national interests from China, according to an updated blueprint for the UK’s foreign and defence [...]
MI5 spies to help firms counter China tech threats, says Sunak March 13, 2023 China poses the biggest “state-based” threat to Britain’s economic security, prime minister Rishi Sunak has said, as MI5 spies are set to help firms counter tech threats. UK organisations and businesses will receive expert security advice from the new National Protective Security Authority within MI5 to help them counter risks from hackers. It comes as [...]
Putin blames Ukraine and the West for starting war ahead of one year mark February 21, 2023 Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine and the West for starting the war in an address to the Russian parliament ahead of the one year anniversary of the conflict. The Russian president referred to the “war” in Ukraine for the first time during his State of the Nation speech, after previously only referring to it as [...]
US President Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine ahead of Russian invasion’s first anniversary February 20, 2023 US president Joe Biden has been spotted in the Ukraine capital Kyiv on a surprise visit this morning. The 46th president was filmed walking the city streets with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine this Friday. Biden and Zelenskyy visited the Wall of Remembrance of the [...]
UK defence budget needs £3bn boost for ‘broken’ armed forces, top general warns February 19, 2023 A top general has warned Britain’s armed forces are “at their most broken since the Cold War” and need a £3bn boost to ramp up the UK’s military capabilities. General Sir Richard Barrons has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to fund the replacement of weapons and tanks given to Ukraine in the budget next month. Barrons, [...]
UK military risks NATO downgrade, security think tank warns February 16, 2023 Britain risks no longer being NATO’s top military power in Europe, a think tank report has warned, in the midst of growing security issues. The French military has more troops, jets and ships than the UK, despite spending £13bn less on defence, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) found. France boasts 203,250 personnel compared [...]
China sanctions US defence giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for supplying Taiwan weapons February 16, 2023 China imposed trade and investment sanctions on Lockheed Martin and a part of Raytheon for supplying weapons to Taiwan. The move steps up efforts to isolate the island democracy claimed by the ruling Communist Party as part of its territory. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles and Defence are barred from importing goods into China or [...]
Sunak under pressure to increase defence spending amid NATO warnings February 13, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to increase the UK’s defence spending after NATO called for allies to boost ammunition production to support Ukraine. Tory backbenchers have issued stark warnings that Britain’s armed forces are “woefully ill-prepared” for a major conflict and that low defence spending is a “false economy”. It came as NATO [...]
MoD accused of ‘blowing millions’ on car hires while cutting Army size January 2, 2023 The Ministry of Defence has been accused of “blowing millions” of pounds on hire cars and taxis last year while cutting the size of the Army. A freedom of information (FoI) request by the PA news agency revealed the MoD spent £16.6m on hire cars for staff in the year to November, up from £12.9m [...]
MoD awards Lockheed Martin with £129m 10-year drone contract December 16, 2022 The Ministry of Defence has awarded aerospace giant Lockheed Martin with a £129m contract to provide drones to the UK’s army. As part of the ten-year deal, the group will provide more than 250 drones with high-resolution imaging that can identify targets far from the operator. Lockheed Martin’s technology is already being used by the [...]