Weekly Defence Rundown 1st – 7th September 2025

With Parliament returning from summer recess this week, the past seven days has undoubtedly been one of the biggest for Starmer in his tenure as PM. Following a minor reshuffle of junior ministerial positions at the beginning of the week, which included Darren Jones being appointed to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, the week ended with Angela Rayner stepping down as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and a major reshuffle of other Cabinet positions.

The key ministerial changes include Shabana Mahmood moving to Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper to Foreign Secretary, and Peter Kyle to Business Secretary. Standout demotions include Foreign Secretary David Lammy moving to Justice Secretary (although he is thought to have been placated by being appointed Deputy Prime Minister), while Business Secretary Johnny Reynolds is now Chief Whip.

In Defence, John Healey remained in post as Secretary of State. However, Maria Eagle has now left government altogether, being replaced as Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry by Luke Pollard. Former Army Intelligence officer Louise Sandher-Jones is filling the position of Minister for the Armed Forces. Al Carns will remain in his post as Minister for Veterans.

These changes come amid a critical moment for Starmer, with Party conference season soon underway and the Chancellor’s Autumn budget scheduled for 26^th November.

In the geopolitical realm, the most notable event of the week was the military parade in China. Involving the leaders of China, Russia, Iran, India, and North Korea, the event serves as a stark warning for the West and its allies, particularly the US given the unveiling of a new hypersonic missile.

Defence Brief: Key Insights from the Week        

• Robot missile warships to boost Royal Navy firepower (The Telegraph)
• MoD figures show armed forces still shrinking despite recruitment drive (The Times)
• UK in advanced talks to build warships for Denmark and Sweden (Financial Times)
• Up to 150 jobs under threat at British Army vehicle supplier (The Telegraph)

Industry Latest:

• Motorola Solutions, Nokia to create communications network for UK (Army Technology)
• Ukrspecsystems to invest £200 million in UK (Calibre Defence)
• Britain contracts ‘Tiberius’ ramjet artillery munition (UK Defence Journal)
• Rejection to renewal: Hanwha seek to fill gaps in UK and Europe (Army Technology)
• RAF prepares Protector for Operation ‘Shader’ combat role (Janes)
• Asgard – Tech Giants Battle It Out (Defence Eye)
• British soldiers trained to fight with FPV drones (UK Defence Journal)
• QinetiQ contracted to provide RN operational staff training (Janes)

Direct from Government:

• New Defence Growth Deals Created to Boost Local Economies Under Major Sector Plan (MoD Press Release)
• Major skills boost at the heart of transformative new Defence Industrial Strategy (MoD Press Release)
• Defence dividend delivers thousands of UK jobs following exceptional foreign investment (MoD Press Release)
• UK and Norway sign historic deal strengthening NATO’s northern flank and boosting jobs and growth (MoD Press Release)
• £1 billion of military support for Ukraine paid for using immobilised Russian assets as Defence Secretary visits Kyiv (MoD Press Release)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton takes over as Chief of Defence Staff (MoD Press Release)

News from Further Afar:

• The EU’s €150bn SAFE initiative is set to be spent in its entirety after 19 member states requested funding. The Commission will now assess the individual bids (Financial Times)
• President Zelenskyy has suggested that South Korea’s postwar economic trajectory and air defences could serve as a template for Ukraine, given how the country has thrived despite the threat it faces from its northern border (Politico)
• President Trump has signed an executive order to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War (The Times)
• The US has also stated that it will phase out its security assistance programmes for the European states bordering Russia, amid its push to make the continent pay for more of its own defence (Financial Times)
• The German government is planning to gain parliamentary approval for the purchase of around 80 defence projects by the end of 2025. Among these items is the ‘Tranche 5’ of Eurofighter jets (Reuters)
• A week of intense diplomacy in China ended with a huge military parade, showcasing the country’s newest tanks, drones, and hypersonic missiles. Over 20 world leaders were present for the parade, including the leaders of Russia, India, and North Korea (Financial Times)

CMS Podcast of the Week:

RUSI Global Security Briefing | The UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group Deployment and Britain’s Indo-Pacific Tilt

Coming Up This Week:

The coming week promises to be a big one for UK Defence. Taking place in Excel building, the international defence and security community will gather for DSEI UK, showcasing the latest defence and aerospace technologies.

Additionally, the Defence Industrial Strategy will be published on Monday, which has already been revealed to include a £250 million fund to invest in five local economies: Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield, and Plymouth.

Moreover, House of Commons Defence Questions is returning on Monday following summer recess. This will be the first time to hear from the new Defence ministerial team.

 

Image: PO Phot Rory Arnold and is under UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

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