Peter Felstead

Now that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is being shuffled off to Sandriberia, I wonder what's going to happen to that teddy of his with the T-shirt that reads 'It's tough being a Prince'. Perhaps it'll find itself on the wrong end of a 'straightforward shooting weekend'.

Ukraine extends its deep strike capabilities into Russia with tangible effects - European Security & Defence Ukraine is managing to employ indigenously developed systems to strike deep into Russia with potentially significant effect.

While it would be far too premature to assert that things are moving in Kyiv's favour, Ukraine's development and use of indigenous deep-strike weapons is presenting a significant headache for Moscow:
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Rafael and IMOD complete development of Iron Beam laser weapon - European Security & Defence Development of Rafael’s Iron Beam 450 laser weapon is now complete, with delivery to the IDF due to take place soon, Rafael has announced.

Longer-range laser-based air defences are now close to becoming a reality:
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UK’s DE&S looks to balloons to provide low-cost ISR and communications solution - European Security & Defence High-altitude balloons could soon be used by the UK armed forces as a low-cost ISR and communications solution, the UK's DE&S has announced.

The British armed forces are getting back into ballooning. The first British balloon built for military purposes, Pioneer, was constructed in 1878 for just £71 - way less than the programme's budget of £150. How times change!
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President Trump finally gets behind Ukraine with arms shipments and economic pressure on Russia - European Security & Defence President Trump has signalled a major shift in his administration’s support for Ukraine with arms shipments and economic pressure on Russia.

Trump is finally doing the right thing (albeit while lining the pockets of the US defence industry):
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Ukraine joins other neighbours of Russia in moving to withdraw from Ottawa Convention - European Security & Defence Ukraine is joining other countries next to Russia in withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, known also as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty.

Are mines always bad? I'm not convinced they are:
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UK officially announces intention to purchase F-35As to contribute to NATO nuclear mission - European Security & Defence The UK is to procure 12 F-35A CTOL JSFs to contribute to NATO’s Dual-Capable Aircraft nuclear mission, the UK MoD announced on 24 June 2025.

I always thought it made sense for the UK to buy F-35As as well as Bs, but we'll certainly need more STOVL jets to ensure the QE-class carriers remain effective.
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Activist assault on RAF Voyagers poses difficult questions for UK MoD and government - European Security & Defence After Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two RAF Voyagers, the UK MoD and government are facing difficult questions.

Palestinian Action breaking into RAF Brize Norton raises many issues. I'm not convinced labelling them as terrorists is the answer:

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Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’: perhaps an execution of the inevitable - European Security & Defence Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’ on 21 June 2025 was the largest strike by B-2s thus far and saw the first operational use of the GBU-57 MOP.

I hope the BDA looks good from this one:
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Paris Air Show 2025: Boeing considers re-opening C-17 production line - European Security & Defence Boeing’s leadership is actively considering a regeneration of the production line for the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter, which closed in 2015.

This would be an interesting development:
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UK releases ambitious Strategic Defence Review, as questions remain over affordability - European Security & Defence The UK MoD published its much-anticipated Strategic Defence Review on 2 June 2025, as questions remain over whether it's affordable.

A long-form look at what's actually in the UK Strategic Defence Review
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Ukraine's Operation ‘Pavutyna’ strikes major blow to Russian strategic aviation - European Security & Defence Ukraine carried out its most audacious strike yet against Russia on 1 June 2025 as drone-based attacks on four Russian airfields left around 40 strategic bombers critically damaged or destroyed. Condu...

More Ukrainian awesomeness:
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Rafael claims historical first as its laser weapon downs hostile air threats in combat - European Security & Defence Rafael has claimed a historical first by becoming the first company to have developed a laser that has brought down hostile air threats in combat.

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North Korea’s second destroyer seriously damaged during launch attempt - European Security & Defence In an attempt to launch North Korea’s latest destroyer on 21 May 2025, the ship may have instead been damaged virtually beyond repair.

Whoops. It looks like someone at North Korea's Chongjin Shipyard is going to be lined up in front of an anti-aircraft gun.
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Tiberius bursts onto scene with 150 km-range, ramjet-powered precision 155 mm round - European Security & Defence At a press briefing in London on 19 May 2025 Tiberius Aerospace announced both its own arrival and that of its first product: the Sceptre round.

Potentially a PGM game-changer:
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Ukrainian USVs make history by shooting down Russian Su-30 fighters - European Security & Defence On 2 May 2025 Ukrainian operators destroyed two Russian Su-30 fighters operating in the Black Sea region using missiles launched from USVs.

Ukrainian operators making more history:
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US-Ukrainian mineral deal promises to revive Kyiv’s relations with Washington - European Security & Defence Ukraine’s on again/off again relationship with the US appears to be back on with the signing of a long-awaited mineral deal on 30 April 2025.

I really hope that this is a true resetting of US-Ukrainian relations:
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UK MoD announces fully funded plan to mount DragonFire LDEW on Type 45 destroyers by 2027 - European Security & Defence The UK MoD has announced that a fully funded plan is in place to mount the DragonFire LDEW on four Royal Navy destroyers by 2027.

This plan has really accelerated:
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In the open press the response from European political leaders to the Trump Administration's Signal security breach has been somewhat muted. Behind closed doors, however, they must be horrified.
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Canada reassessing its commitment to buying F-35s in wake of trade war with Trump - European Security & Defence Newly installed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked his defence minister to review Canada’s purchase of the F-35.

This could get messy:
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Portugal appears to back out of F-35 buy in light of Trump’s attitude to Europe - European Security & Defence Portugal looks to be backing out of plans to buy the F-35 due to US President Trump’s lack of commitment or solidarity with Europe and NATO.

This won't dent the F-35 programme too much, but it is a wider indication of Europe learning -- and ultimately demonstrating -- that it doesn't think Trump can be trusted.
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Name of Fort Moore reverts back to Fort Benning as Trump Administration continues its ‘war on woke’ - European Security & Defence US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on 3 March 2025 directing Ft Moore to be reverted back to its original name of Ft Benning.

This latest move in Trump's 'war on woke' suggests the US DoD will have to come up with another seven US Army heroes who share the same surnames – Gordon, Hill, Hood, Lee, Pickett, Polk and Rucker – as the Confederate generals those bases were originally named after.
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Kyiv’s worst fears materialise as Trump suspends US military aid to Ukraine - European Security & Defence On 3 March 2025 US President Donald Trump ordered a suspension of US military aid to Ukraine amid its struggle against the Russian invasion.

For Putin it just doesn't get any better than this:
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US military geopolitics appears to have ‘fallen through the looking glass’ - European Security & Defence As the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passed on 22 February 2025, US military geopolitics has ‘fallen through the looking glass’.

The lamentable current state of US military geopolitics:
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Russia losing armour in Ukraine at an unsustainable rate, confirms IISS - European Security & Defence Russia lost 1,400 MBTs in Ukraine in 2024 and has lost a total of more than 4,000 MBTs since its invasion of Ukraine began, according to the IISS.

The 2025 Military Balance is out:
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Pentagon jumps through hoops with base renaming as Trump’s ‘war on woke’ rolls on - European Security & Defence Trump's war on woke’ has the Pentagon jumping through diplomatic and cultural hoops, most recently with the second renaming of Fort Bragg.

'Bragg is back', but not to commemorate an inept and reviled Confederate general, says the Pentagon:
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Belgium’s new government announces plans for major boost in defence spending - European Security & Defence The new Belgian coalition government formed on 31 January 2025 has laid out plans to put an end to the country’s deficient defence spending.

Belgium finally getting serious about defence spending:
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Saab UK officially inaugurates new state-of-the-art campus near Fareham - European Security & Defence Saab UK officially inaugurated its new state-of-the-art campus near Fareham, Hampshire, on 4 February 2025.

Maybe just the inauguration of a new UK defence facility, but Saab's new site in Fareham will bring sovereign UK radar IP and provides new facilities for Saab Seaeye, whose Sabretooth ROV found Shackleton's Endurance 3,000 m below the surface of the Wedell Sea in 2022.

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Danes strengthen defence plans for High North in wake of Trump’s avarice for Greenland - European Security & Defence The Danish government has signed a new agreement on security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the Danish MoD announced on 27 January 2025.

In the wake of Trump's avarice for Greenland, the Danes are having to get serious about bolstering security in the High North:
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IAV 2025: Armour remains vital and ‘recce strike complex’ is essential, asserts head of British Army - European Security & Defence Armour remains vital and the‘recce strike complex’ is essential, the head of the British Army, General Sir Roly Walker, told the audience at IAV 2025.

The British Army CGS talking last week about the essential need to develop an effective recce strike complex:
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