Tag: Ministry of Defence

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 January 2024.

The Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps presented hundreds of personnel from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment with a medal for their contributions to NATO peacekeeping operations in Kosovo.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 25 January 2024.

British Army battlefield mobility will be bolstered in a new £150 million contract for military-grade general support bridges which will secure 300 UK jobs.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 24 January 2024.

Personnel leaving the military are to receive more support for finding jobs in civilian life thanks to a new contract between the Ministry of Defence and Reed.

• Number of professional training courses for soon-to-be veterans more than doubled.
• New Career Transition Partnership (CTP) with Reed in Partnership will continue the award-winning work supporting service leavers.
• Training in areas ranging from transport to cyber security will give service leavers the best opportunity of finding employment.

Under the contract the number of courses for service leavers will be doubled, and they will have the opportunity to learn new skills in areas such as cyber security.

The Career Transition Partnership has supported those leaving the Armed Forces for over 25 years, as they transition from the military into civilian life.

With approximately 15,000 service leavers benefitting from these services annually and 87% of those using the system gaining employment, the partnership will improve the advice on offer for service leavers around the country. Services, which will be a combination of face to face, online and instructor led, will also be tailored to those living in devolved nations. Courses will be geared towards future careers in areas like engineering, cyber security, healthcare and renewable energy.

Minister for Defence People and Families, Rt. Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP said:

It is vital that service leavers are given the correct tools to have the best possible start in their new lives. From career counselling to vocational training, this new partnership will give individuals the confidence and skills to find employment and increase their opportunities.

I am thrilled to announce this new partnership, which will continue the award-winning work to support Armed Forces personnel and their families as they transition to civilian life.

This collaboration reinforces our commitment to providing the best possible opportunities for those who have bravely served our country.

All service leavers will benefit from enhanced transition support from specialist advisors and careers consultants under the new contract, to meet their chosen outcomes which typically range from seeking civilian employment, re-entering Higher/Further Education or retirement.

The transition from the current contract with Right Management Ltd to Reed in Partnership will be complete in October 2024, starting with a phased approach to ensure that the services offered to current service leavers are not disrupted.

Over the previous 25 years the award-winning CTP has supported over 310,000 service leavers to transition into civilian life, the new partnership with Reed will build on the excellence of the current contract.

CEO and Chairman of Reed in Partnership, James Reed CBE said:

Reed in Partnership has a long history of supporting people to achieve their goals through employability, education, training and career transition services. This includes many veterans and reservists, whose unique skills and experiences can be so greatly utilised in civilian life.

As an Armed Forces Covenant signee, we are committed to ensuring that people who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families are treated fairly and supported appropriately. Our delivery of the CTP service will be informed by this commitment. Our extensive range of employer relationships and community partnerships means we are well placed to continue the success of this important service.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 22 January 2024.

On 22 January, the UK conducted further strikes against Houthi targets. Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a pair of Voyager tankers, joined US forces in a deliberate strike against Houthi sites in Yemen.

The press release by the Ministry of Defence on 22 January 2024.

Today, the militaries of the United States and United Kingdom, at the direction of their respective governments with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 8 Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 January 2024.

Cutting-edge Royal Navy missiles – recently used to shoot down multiple hostile drones in the Red Sea – will receive significant enhancements through an upgrade programme supporting hundreds of UK jobs.

Crucial to defend sailors, surface fleet and air threats, the Sea Viper Air Defence system will be upgraded with updated missiles featuring a new warhead and software update that will enable it to defeat ballistic missile threats. The system will protect the UK’s Carrier Strike group and can track, target and destroy a variety of air threats over 70 miles away.

Worth £405 million, the contracts will make Sea Viper the most capable naval air defence system ever developed for the Royal Navy, investing in vital capability used in recent weeks to protect one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes from multiple drone attacks.

The missile upgrades comprise three contracts awarded to MBDA UK, including two to significantly enhance the Sea Viper capability on board Type 45 warships, and a third to cover enhanced in-service support and availability of the system for the next five years.

By further investing in our world-leading defence industry, the contracts will also support the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy by sustaining 350 UK jobs, including highly skilled technology roles in Stevenage, Cowes, Bristol & Bolton.

The work will include employees from MBDA across the UK, France and Italy working alongside colleagues from BAE Systems.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

As the situation in the Middle East worsens, it is vital that we adapt to keep the UK, our allies and partners safe. Sea Viper has been at the forefront of this, being the Navy’s weapon of choice in the first shooting down of an aerial threat in more than 30 years.

Our strong and enduring relationship with British industry has ensured we can deploy the latest technological capabilities wherever they are required while supporting hundreds of jobs across the country and bolstering UK prosperity.

The Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers are among the most advanced in the fleet and carry out a range of activity, including defence from air attack, counter-piracy operations and providing humanitarian aid.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps this week visited HMS Diamond in the Red Sea, where it recently used Sea Viper missiles to shoot down multiple attack drones, as part of the US-led international taskforce Operation Prosperity Guardian.

Alongside HMS Diamond, the taskforce currently includes three US destroyers, and a French warship is also in the region. All are currently operating in the Southern Red Sea with the multinational partnership focusing on protecting freedom of navigation, international trade and human life by countering illicit non-state actors in international waters.

Rear Admiral Anthony Rimington, Director Force Generation said:

A cutting-edge weapon system, Sea Viper continues to provide the Royal Navy with impressive lethality. Sea Viper Evolution further enhances this capability against the more complex and evolving threats and strengthens our cooperation and interoperability with key partners.

The Sea Viper enhancements aim to deliver Ballistic Missile Defence Capability to counter more complex threats, while providing an opportunity for further upgrades and increased capability to be taken forward into future systems.

The initial stage of the contract will upgrade the Royal Navy’s existing Aster 30 missiles to Aster 30 Block 1, which will enable defence against anti-ship ballistic missile threats, and will see modifications to the fleet’s Multi-Function Radar (Sampson), Command and Control system and Combat Management System.

The subsequent stage of the Sea Viper evolution will evaluate the introduction of the new Aster 30 Block 1NT missile. Currently under development with France and Italy, it features a new seeker that would even further enhance the ballistic missile defence capabilities of the UK’s Type 45 destroyers.

Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, Director General Ships at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the UK MOD, said:

In a rapidly changing defence environment, I’m proud to see our teams work collaboratively with industry colleagues to support highly-skilled jobs and ensure those operating the UK Type 45 fleet have the edge over their adversaries now and in the future.

Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, said:

These contracts will make Sea Viper the most capable naval air defence system ever developed for the Royal Navy in our 60-year history as the Navy’s primary air defence system supplier.

They will also see the UK further enhance the co-operation with France and Italy through MBDA by joining the Aster 30 Block 1 programme, giving the UK the ability to defeat anti-ship ballistic missiles.

The enhancements to the fleet of Type 45 destroyers are expected to reach full operational capability by Autumn 2032.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 January 2024.

A military laser which could boost the UK Armed Forces with greater accuracy while reducing the reliance on high-cost ammunition has reached its next milestone.

During a trial at the MOD’s Hebrides Range, the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system achieved the UK’s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets. The range of DragonFire is classified, but it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target.

• First high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets
• Laser boasts pinpoint accuracy and low long-term costs
• Partnership with industry making positive progress for UK Armed Forces

DragonFire exploits UK technology to be able to deliver a high power laser over long ranges. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from a kilometre away.

Laser-directed energy weapons can engage targets at the speed of light, and use an intense beam of light to cut through the target, leading to structural failure or more impactful results if the warhead is targeted.

Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out. The cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot.

DragonFire is led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), on behalf of the UK MOD, working with its industry partners MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ.

This milestone demonstrated the ability to engage aerial targets at relevant ranges and is a major step in bringing this technology into service. Both the Army and Royal Navy are considering using this technology as part of their future Air Defence capabilities.

Defence Secretary, Grant Shapp said:

This type of cutting-edge weaponry has the potential to revolutionise the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage.

Investments with industry partners in advanced technologies like DragonFire are crucial in a highly contested world, helping us maintain the battle-winning edge and keep the nation safe.

The latest milestone builds on a series of highly successful trials, including the first static high-power laser firing of a sovereign UK capability and demonstration of the DragonFire system’s ability to track moving air and sea targets with very high accuracy at range.

Building on this research, the MOD recently announced its intention to fund a multi-million-pound programme to transition the technology from the research environment to the battlefield.

The latest trial was sponsored by the MOD’s Defence Science and Technology (DST) organisation and Strategic Programmes and enabled by many other agencies across government, ensuring all regulatory and safety approval requirements were satisfied.

Dstl’s Chief Executive, Dr Paul Hollinshead said:

These trials have seen us take a huge step forward in realising the potential opportunities and understanding the threats posed by directed energy weapons.

With our decades of knowledge, skills, and operational experience, Dstl’s expertise is critical to helping the armed forces prepare for the future.

The DragonFire weapon system is the result of a £100 million joint investment by the Ministry of Defence and industry. Together, the companies involved are supporting highly-skilled UK jobs in new cutting-edge technologies that are delivering a significant step-change in the UK’s capability in LDEW systems.

In 2017 the MOD’s Chief Scientific Advisor’s Research Programme awarded a £30 million contract to the DragonFire consortium to demonstrate the potential of LDEWs.

Dr Nick Joad, DST said:

This is a really innovative application of science and engineering and is the fruit of sustained investment and effort. DragonFire uses cutting-edge science and technology and delivers much greater performance than other systems of a similar class. DragonFire provides a step-change in our ability to deal with high-performance and low-cost threats.

UK defence is continuing to invest in these game-changing technologies and is advancing the plans which will ultimately bring them into service.

Shimon Fhima, Director Strategic Programmes for the MOD said:

The DragonFire trials at the Hebrides demonstrated that our world-leading technology can track and engage high-end effects at range. In a world of evolving threats we know that our focus must be on getting capability to the warfighter and we will look to accelerate this next phase of activity.

LDEW research and technology is delivered in partnership and is a cost-effective way of meeting the needs of the MOD while maintaining UK industry’s technology and skills base.

UK defence is continuing to invest in these game-changing technologies and is advancing the plans which will ultimately bring them into service

Find out more about Dstl’s weapons science and technology capability and how to work with us.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 17 January 2024.

Digital services across Defence will be transformed in a £150 million contract awarded to UK-based technology services provider, Computacenter.

• UK-based technology services provider Computacenter awarded four-year contract.
• Contract expected to reduce current costs by around 64% (£84m).
• Covering over 220,000 devices in use by MOD personnel worldwide.

Digital services across Defence will be transformed in a £150 million contract awarded to UK-based technology services provider, Computacenter.

The four-year contract will support tens of thousands of laptops and desktop computers used by MOD personnel worldwide, from head office to the front line, as well as creating additional jobs at Computacenter’s Hatfield and Nottingham sites.

Reducing operating costs by around £84 million, the new services will provide a high-quality, secure and sustainable service to defence personnel, enabling defence to more rapidly respond to changing needs and market conditions.

The contract represents a wider MOD move away from large, aggregated contracts to smaller, more measurable contracts that will improve organisational flexibility.

Defence Digital’s improvement programme is a priority for the MOD, and we are investing over £4 billion annually in our digital transformation, to streamline the MOD’s processes and increase our operational capability.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:

Delivering on our digital transformation will ensure high-quality, rapidly accessible global data, which is a critical component of our fighting power. Bolstered technology can strengthen our deterrence, our resilience, and our national prosperity.

The service will improve performance standards and speed of access across 220,000 devices including laptops, desktops, peripherals and software applications.

MOD Chief Information Officer, Charles Forte, said:

This new relationship is a significant component in our ongoing progress to bring new business into the team and ensures we are modernising and innovating in support of our internal customers to deliver greater value for money.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 January 2024.

On 11 January, Royal Air Force aircraft joined coalition forces in striking a number of facilities used by the Houthi rebel faction in Yemen to attack shipping in the southern Red Sea.

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has already been active alongside US and French warships in defending vital international shipping lanes against Houthi drones and missiles. Given the persistence of the Houthis in threatening merchant ships, several of which have already suffered damage, and the deliberate targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels on 9 January, coalition forces identified key facilities involved in these attacks, and agreed to conduct a carefully coordinated strike to reduce the Houthis’ capability to violate international law in this manner.

Four RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker therefore used Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct precision strikes on two of these Houthi facilities. One was a site at Bani in north-western Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. A number of buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by our aircraft.

The other location struck by our aircraft was the airfield at Abbs. Intelligence has shown that it has been used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraft.

In planning the strikes, particular care was taken to minimise any risks to civilians, and any such risks were mitigated further by the decision to conduct the strikes during the night. The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow, and our commitment to protecting the sea-lanes, through which some 15% of the world’s shipping passes and which is vital to the global economy, has been amply demonstrated.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 11 January 2024.

UK defence in the north-west of England benefits from £2.5 billion each year, supporting 16,000 jobs.

• UK defence supports 16,000 north-west jobs and spends £2.5 billion in the region annually.
• Defence Secretary visits UK primes based in north-west – MBDA in Bolton and BAE Systems at Warton.
• Defence Secretary thanks local workforce for their role in backing Ukraine and keeping the UK safe.

UK defence in the north-west of England benefits from £2.5 billion each year, supporting 16,000 jobs – including to make crucial weaponry for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion.

Today, Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, visited some of these facilities across the north-west where key components are made for a selection of the UK’s most lethal weaponry, such as Storm-Shadow and Brimstone, that has been gifted to Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion, the UK has stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, donating weaponry, ammunition and supporting training efforts for their armed forces.

The Defence Secretary also praised those working at the facilities for their support in keeping the UK safe and backing Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

People remain at the heart of UK defence and today I had the privilege to meet staff who play such a crucial role in ensuring our nation’s security and supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom.

We will continue to invest in defence and skills across the north-west, supporting jobs and communities across the region.

With 22,000 BAE Systems jobs in the north-west alone, 57% of the company’s total UK-based workforce, BAE Systems is an example of how the British defence industry is strengthening the economy and providing opportunity in the region.  The MOD will continue to invest in the region, currently spending more than £2.5 billion a year to support the defence industry.

Visiting MBDA in Bolton – a facility that manufactures some of the most critical elements of the game-changing Storm-Shadow, ASRAAM and Brimstone missiles – and BAE Systems in Warton – where work for the future fighter jet under the Global Combat Air Programme is underway, the Defence Secretary met with the local workforce, thanking them for their crucial work.

Beyond the conflict in Ukraine, MBDA-manufactured Sea Viper missiles are also playing a critical role in upholding security in the Red Sea, through the international taskforce Operation Prosperity Guardian. Mounted on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers, the Sea Viper missile represents one of the most accurate and long-ranging missile systems in service.

Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK said:

We are very proud of our 90-year history of defence manufacturing in the north-west in support of the MOD and key British allies.

To support the growing workforce of over 1,100 at our Bolton site we are undertaking a multi-million-pound investment that will double our manufacturing footprint and we are continuing to recruit in order to support the MoD in their critical role.

Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director, BAE Systems’ Air sector, said:

We have a long and proud history in the north-west; supporting thousands of high-quality jobs both directly and indirectly in the region, across our supply chain and through our partnerships with businesses and academia.

We’re continuing to invest in people, new technologies and our facilities in the region to support the defence of the nation and our allies for decades to come.