Neil Ritchie

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft are at the forefront of NATO's Flexible Deterrent Options (FDO) training, equipping their allies to perform joint operations aimed at safeguarding NATO's airspace.

The UK's DragonFire laser weapon system has shot down high-speed drones in new trials conducted at the UK Ministry of Defence's Hebrides range. Following the successful trials, the UK government has awarded a GBP 316 million contract to MBDA UK to accelerate the deployment of the system.

The UK-led multinational military aviation exercise PINION TITAN involving forces from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, is currently underway

The British Army's specialised Technical Response Force (TRF), which is a component of the 29 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search (29 EOD&S) Group, collaborated with emergency services and partner organisations to evaluate their response to a potential threat involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) devices.

The British Army has suspended the use of its new Ajax armoured fighting vehicles for training and exercises because of persistent problems with excessive noise and vibration, which resulted in around 30 soldiers becoming ill during a recent exercise. This suspension will last for two weeks while a safety investigation is conducted.

The critical infrastructure of the UK and Norway will be safeguarded against Russian submarines via a new defence agreement, which will enable the British and Norwegian navies to operate collaboratively in the North Atlantic.

Royal Marines Commandos began a major deployment to the Arctic Circle, marking the start of a new era of year-round joint operations with Norway to defend NATO's northern flank.

FN UK announced that it has been awarded the Police Primary Carbine System Framework Agreement with the new FN 15 Advanced Semi-Automatic Rifle (ASR).

The UK Government has allocated GBP 200 million of funding to prepare the UK Armed Forces to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU), the UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced during a visit to Ukraine.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 28 May that Ukraine plans to obtain an initial shipment of as many as 20 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft, while Sweden aims to donate up to 16 Gripen C/D aircraft to Ukraine. Additionally, the Swedish Government has revealed its commitment to allocate resources for the replacement of the donated Gripen aircraft.