Guidance: Air Safety Management System Overview (ASMsO)
The UK Ministry of Defence is offering a two‑day Air Safety Management System Overview (ASMsO) course to equip military personnel with the knowledge to develop and manage air safety management systems. The blended program covers the 16 functional elements of an Air SMS, moves participants from passive to active roles, and culminates in a joint personnel administration (JPA) training record. Prerequisites include foundational human‑factors or error‑management training and familiarity with the Manual of Air Safety. Courses are delivered at the Centre of Air Safety Training or locally through STEP contacts.
Transparency Data: MOD: Spending over £25,000, January to December 2026
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published its January 2026 spending data for all contracts exceeding £25,000. The information is provided as an OpenDocument Spreadsheet (ODS) and was made publicly available on 4 March 2026. This monthly disclosure is part of the...
UK Sends Warship and Drone-Busting Helicopters to the Eastern Mediterranean to Protect Brits and Allies in the Region
The United Kingdom has dispatched the Type‑45 destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles to the Eastern Mediterranean. The warship’s Sea Viper system can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and guide sixteen simultaneously, bolstering air‑defence...
Impact Assessment: Armed Forces Bill 2026: Impact Assessments
The UK government released two impact assessments linked to the Armed Forces Bill 2026, covering strategic reserves and an extension of the Armed Forces Covenant duty. The Strategic Reserves assessment outlines a five‑year plan to bolster stockpiles and allocate additional funding....
Guidance: List of MAA Approved Organizations
The Medical Advisory Agency (MAA) continuously refreshes its roster of approved organisations, publishing updates almost every month since the list’s debut on 17 March 2017. The most recent revision appeared on 2 March 2026, bringing the total to more than 90 published updates. Each...
Defence Futures and Force Design Internship Programme
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Futures and Force Design (F&FD) postgraduate internship programme is accepting applications until 2 March 2026 for a six‑to‑eight‑week placement beginning July 2026. Interns will join the Insights, Analysis, Research and Challenge (IARC) team, contributing to strategic concepts,...
UK Hosts Senior NATO Leaders to Discuss Nuclear Deterrence
On 27 February the United Kingdom convened senior NATO political and military leaders to review the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence strategy and Euro‑Atlantic security. The gathering underscored NATO’s unwavering commitment to nuclear deterrence and highlighted the UK’s unique position as the only...
Guidance: Whittington Ranges Firing Times
Whittington Range has continuously updated its firing schedule, posting weekly and monthly timetables from 2021 through February 2026. Each entry details specific firing windows, often adjusting dates, adding new periods, or deleting outdated slots. The updates are published on a...
Promotional Material: Find Opportunities to Become a Supplier with the Ministry of Defence
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has released a new supplier outreach leaflet titled “Find opportunities to become a supplier with the Ministry of Defence.” The eight‑page PDF (679 KB) and an HTML version outline how businesses can engage with Defence,...
Guidance: Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
The UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) provides third‑country support—including accommodation, transport and medical care—to locally employed Afghan staff eligible for resettlement in the UK. Since its first publication in January 2021, the policy has been repeatedly updated, most recently...
New Drone Factory Opens in Suffolk to Boost Ukraine's Armed Forces Against Russia's War
Ukraine’s leading drone maker Ukrspecsystems opened a £200 million production and testing facility in Suffolk, creating up to 500 British jobs. The plant will manufacture SHARK, Mini‑SHARK and PD‑2 drones that have already inflicted nearly $3 billion of damage on Russian forces....
Powerful New Royal Navy Warship Programme Advances as Milestones Reached for Two Ships
Two of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates, HMS Active and HMS Bulldog, have reached critical production milestones at Babcock’s Rosyth yard, with Active rolled out and Bulldog’s steel‑cut ceremony held. The programme sustains roughly 2,500 jobs across shipyards and the UK...
Guidance: Leek and Upper Hulme Firing Times
The Ministry of Defence has designated the Leek Upper Hulme training range’s ‘closed impact area’ as off‑limits due to unexploded ordnance. The zone is bounded by the A53, Dry Stones, Morridge, South Swainsmoor and North Swainsmoor and is fully fenced and...
Guidance: Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) Firing Times
Since its first publication in November 2017, the Ministry of Defence’s Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) website has maintained a rolling log of monthly firing times. The most recent update on 24 February 2026 added the March 2026 schedule, continuing a pattern of...
Final Piece in Place for Defence Support Transformation
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £113 million contract to the Digital Allies consortium—PA Consulting and Accenture—to deliver the Defence Logistics Information Services (DLIS) under the Business Modernisation for Support (BMfS) programme. This contract completes a suite of BMfS...
Innovative Solutions to Boost Munitions Outload Capability
Trials at Defence Munitions Kineton demonstrated that low‑cost, innovative solutions can modernise the munitions out‑load process. The OUTLOAD programme comprises three projects – SAGE, which pilots satellite, 4G and Wi‑Fi links to provide real‑time stock visibility in signal‑restricted warehouses; PAXO,...
Notice: Competition: Innovation Support to Operations Phase 3 (Cycle 7)
The UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) programme has opened Phase 3, Cycle 7, inviting proposals that can be manufactured, cost‑competitive and reach Technology Readiness Level 6 within twelve months. Submissions must not exceed £350,000 in funding (with a ceiling of £1 million per project) and...
UK Steps up Support for Ukraine Four Years on From Putin's Full-Scale Invasion
Britain announced a new assistance package for Ukraine, combining military, humanitarian and reconstruction aid as the war enters its fifth year. The package includes £20 million for emergency energy repairs, £5.7 million for humanitarian relief, £30 million for societal resilience, and funding for...
Australia-UK Defence Industry Dialogue: Joint Statement
Australia and the United Kingdom revived their Defence Industry Dialogue on 23 February 2026, reaffirming commitment to the AUKUS partnership and deeper industrial cooperation. Ministers highlighted progress on AESA radar technology, joint submarine initiatives—including HMS Anson’s deployment to Perth—and plans to secure energetics...
Promotional Material: Desider 2026
Desider, the monthly corporate magazine of the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), was launched on 26 January 2026. It is aimed at DE&S staff, the wider MOD, armed forces and industry partners. The publication delivers stories on operational...
Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability Pre-Application Consultation
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a statutory pre‑application consultation for its Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) at Cawdor Barracks, with the consultation window closing on 23 March 2026. An extensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been completed and all...
UK and European Allies to Develop Low-Cost Air Defence Weapons to Protect NATO Skies
Britain and its European Group of Five partners – France, Germany, Italy and Poland – have launched the Low‑Cost Effectors & Autonomous Platforms (LEAP) initiative to create affordable, AI‑driven air‑defence weapons. The first system, a lightweight surface‑to‑air missile targeting drones...
Review of MOD Legislation Governing Autonomous Systems
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched an open call for evidence to review the regulatory framework governing uncrewed and autonomous systems. This initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s Regulation Action Plan, which aims to cut administrative costs of...
Wales Becomes UK Launchpad for Next Generation Autonomous Technology
The UK government has signed a £50 million Wales Defence Growth Deal to make Wales the launchpad for autonomous defence technology. The agreement expands MOD test ranges, opens air corridors, and gives Welsh SMEs direct access to secure contracts. A new...
Notice: Countering Illegal Use of UAS Around Prisons and Sensitive Sites
The UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) competition, backed by the Ministry of Justice, MOD and other security agencies, seeks low‑collateral technologies to neutralise hostile drones near prisons, critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites. Up to £1.85 million in funding will support two...
Guidance: The White Book for Foreign Service Advisors and Defence Attachés
The UK Ministry of Defence’s "White Book"—a directory of Commonwealth defence liaison staff and foreign service attachés—has been moved to a restricted MOD intranet, ending its public availability. Users are now directed to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s London diplomatic...
Guidance: Allied Joint Doctrine for Air and Space Operations (AJP-3.3)
Allied Joint Publication AJP‑3.3, the NATO doctrine for air and space operations, was refreshed on 17 February 2026 as Edition C Version 1. The document outlines fundamental principles, the air‑operations planning cycle, and how space capabilities support joint forces. It targets NATO commanders, staff,...
Guidance: Defence Maritime Regulations: Regulatory Notices
The Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR) has refreshed its regulatory notice suite, adding a 2026 Regulation Source Record, ATAMS and ISM Code guidance, and updated IMO registration requirements. Recent 2025 amendments address diving safety verification and wreck management, while a 2025...
Enemy Weapons Detector in the Hands of Soldiers Five Years Early
The British Army will field Leonardo UK’s SONUS acoustic weapon‑locating system five years ahead of schedule, with a rollout to frontline units within the next 12 months. Weighing 70% less than its predecessor, SONUS can be deployed in under three...
UK Spends over £400 Million on Long-Range Weapons as Cooperation Scales up with European Allies
The United Kingdom has earmarked more than £400 million this year for long‑range precision and hypersonic weapons, expanding joint programmes with France, Italy and Germany. The Stratus missile project, which replaces the Storm Shadow, already sustains over 1,300 highly‑skilled jobs in...
Bristol's Apprentices Celebrated as the Future of the Defence Industry
During National Apprenticeship Week, Defence Minister Luke Pollard visited Babcock’s Bristol facility to spotlight apprentices as the future of the UK defence sector. Babcock announced 1,600 new apprentice and graduate positions for 2025/26, adding to the roughly 5,000 roles already...
Hypersonic Missiles Development Accelerated by New Contract
The UK Ministry of Defence has granted a £12 million contract to Amentum UK, supported by SMEs Ebeni and Synthetik, to design and flight‑test a sovereign hypersonic missile system. The award, part of a broader £48 million investment since July 2024, was secured...
Guidance: Military Low Flying: MOD Sponsored Air Exercises
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been continuously publishing and updating a detailed schedule of military low‑flying air exercises from early 2021 through early 2026. Each entry lists a specific week‑long window during which training flights are authorised, reflecting...
UK Steps up Defence of Arctic and High North From Rising Russian Threats
The United Kingdom will double its troop presence in Norway from 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years, reinforcing NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission. A major Joint Expeditionary Force exercise, Lion Protector, is slated for September 2026 across Iceland, the...
UK to Lead Multinational Cyber Defence Exercise From Singapore.
Britain will lead the Defence Cyber Marvel 2026 exercise, bringing together more than 2,500 personnel from 29 nations in Singapore. The week‑long drill simulates real‑world cyber attacks, pitting blue and red teams against each other while integrating military, government and...
Corporate Report: Ministry of Defence Votes A: 2026 to 2027
On 10 February 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence published its Votes A 2026‑2027 paper, seeking parliamentary authority to set the maximum number of personnel for the armed forces for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2027. The document outlines...
