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Call of duty!

Gamers have a particular set of skills that the Ministry of Defence wants to utilise, turning what might seem like an outside-of-work hobby into a valid military resource. The MOD has officially recognised eSports as a military sport and wishes to extract the applicable skills to better equip the military for the ever-changing online world. “We really want you to be playing these games,” said the Deputy Commander for Strategic Command, Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes.

Sealey at DPRTE

Sealey at DPRTE

Tank Hunters

For US Army forces in Europe, there are few tools as valuable as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Part scout, part flying tank, the Apache’s job is to fly low and fast, sneak behind enemy lines and use a combination of advanced sensors and bruising firepower to foil attacks before they happen. Doing this requires a certain kind of pilot, and Apache drivers have a reputation for being hard-charging and aggressive. The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (12th CAB), forward deployed to Ansbach, Germany, brings the Apache’s firepower to US Army commanders in Europe. They regularly train with Allied ground forces, proving their ability to rapidly respond to crises whenever and wherever needed. For example, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 12th CAB’s Apaches rapidly deployed to Latvia, where they assured Allies in the region.

UK investing £4.5bn in drones as top general warns of UAV arms race

A new strategy backed by at least £4.5bn of investment over the next decade will speed up access to uncrewed systems for the UK’s Armed Forces, inspired by lessons learnt from the use of drones in Ukraine. The UK Defence Drone Strategy will harness innovative capabilities across UK defence, including the use of rapid experimentation, testing and evaluation of uncrewed platforms, and unifying the approach of the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force.

Steadfast Defender 2024 – NATO’s biggest exercise in decades

NATO’s largest exercise in decades is underway. Steadfast Defender 2024 (STDE24) involves around 90,000 forces from 31 Allies and NATO partner Sweden. The exercise, which is conducted across various NATO nations, is based on NATO’s new defence plans and demonstrates the Alliance’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance, to reinforce the defence of Europe. It also gives a clear demonstration of NATO’s transatlantic unity, strength and determination to do all that is necessary to protect each other and our common values. Taking part in STDE24 is: More than 50 naval assets including aircraft carriers, frigates, corvettes and destroyers. More than 80 air platforms including F35s, FA18s, Harriers, F15s, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. And more than 1,100 combat vehicles including 166 tanks, 533 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and 417 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). STDE24 is a series of national and multinational large-scale exercises that takes place from 24 January 2024 until the end of May.

How to ship a spacecraft

Have you ever wondered how to ship a spacecraft? Lockheed Martin had to move GOES-U from its facility in Colorado to its launch site in Florida. 🚀

TORVICE AI Trial

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and UK armed forces collaborated with Australia and the US in an AUKUS trial in Australia to accelerate the adoption and understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems. The AUKUS Trusted Operation of Robotic Vehicles in Contested Environments (TORVICE) trial aimed to identify and resolve vulnerabilities of robotic vehicles and sensors that affect autonomous systems. Understanding and mitigating the impact of such threats is critical to effective and reliable use of such systems on future operations. The TORVICE trial follows the first AUKUS AI and autonomy trial held in the UK in April 2023. In December, AUKUS Defence Ministers announced their intent to integrate Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technologies (RAAIT) into national programs in 2024. The TORVICE trial takes us a step closer to adopting these technologies in the land domain. Dstl is a proven national asset, giving the UK clear advantage across science, technology, cyber and information. We offer world-class science and technology capability allied to inside knowledge and government savvy, and underpinned by deep operational understanding of defence and security needs. This enables us to demystify and harness science and technology to give clear military and security advantage through impartial advice and solutions – to innovate the science inside UK defence and security.

TRX Robotic Combat Vehicle: Modularity on the Battlefield

General Dynamics Land Systems’ Tracked Robot 10-ton (TRX) delivers modular capability to maneuver formations through rapidly reconfigurable mission payloads.

DragonFire laser test

The British military has announced the development of a high-powered laser weapon, called Dragonfire, which could potentially change the face of warfare. This laser weapon, developed by DSTL, Porton Down, the military science laboratory in the UK, is being hailed as a significant advancement in technology. With the increasing threat of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in conflicts such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the need for an effective and cost-efficient defense system has become paramount. The Dragonfire laser weapon offers a solution to this problem, with its accuracy and relatively low cost.

What the UK is sending to Nato's biggest military exercise since Cold War

Twenty thousand British soldiers, sailors and aviators will be deployed by land, sea and air across Europe to participate in a huge Nato exercise later this year. The UK is expected to send 20,000 military personnel to take part in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 – one of Nato’s largest military exercises in Europe since the Cold War. During the first half of 2024, personnel from the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force will deploy across Europe alongside 31 Nato allies and Sweden as the alliance practises repelling an invasion by Russian forces.