Weekly Defence Rundown 22nd – 28th September 2025

As is clear in the rundown below, the past week has been marked by escalating tensions between Russia and NATO. Poland and Estonia have invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, and airports in Denmark and Norway were forced to shut amid major drone incursions. Though investigations remain ongoing, Russian involvement has not been ruled out of the latest airspace breeches. Germany has also revealed that satellites used by its military are being shadowed by Russian counterparts.

Amidst these tensions, the high-level talks at the United Nations General Assembly kicked off. In another surprise twist from President Trump and signalling his impatience over the slow progress at ending the war, he criticised Putin’s failure in Ukraine, asserting that the country was in a position to regain all its territory.

Back in the UK, Labour Party Conference officially kicked off on Sunday, as Starmer attempts to rally the party behind him amid concerns that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham may pose a leadership challenge after next May’s local elections.

Defence Brief: Key Insights from the Week        

• British Army accused of suppressing report on barracks sex pests (The Times)
• Europe’s defence giants rise by £8bn after Trump backs Ukraine (The Telegraph)
• UK says EU defence fund block risks Europe’s fight against Russia (The i Paper)
• Bosses should urge workers to join Army reserves, says Defence Secretary (The Telegraph)
• Ex-MI5 chief says those who think UK already at war with Russia ‘may be right’ (Sky News)

Industry Latest:

• Norway orders more K9 SPHs (Janes)
• Britain cuts steel on new nuclear missile submarine (UK Defence Journal)
• BAE, QinetiQ test crewed-uncrewed teaming in synthetic trial (UK Defence Journal)
• Raytheon’s ADVEW prototype passes key review (Calibre Defence)
• Helsing unveils new ‘Europa’ fighter jet drone (UK Defence Journal)
• Affinity “well positioned” to meet MFTS demand, says MD (Shephard Media)
• German military to invest $41B in space capabilities (Breaking Defense)
• SDR Cost £400,000 (Defence Eye)
• UK looking at £550m tactical comms support contract (UK Defence Journal)

Direct from Government:

• King Charles III marks historic milestone for nuclear submarine programme (MoD Press Release)

News from Further Afar:

• Germany has featured heavily in the geopolitical and defence landscape over the past week. Firstly, the country’s recently approved military procurement plan shows that Berlin’s rearmament drive will largely benefit the European defence industry, with only 8% being allocated towards US weapons (Politico)
• Later in the week, German defence minister Boris Pistorius warned that the country’s satellites were being shadowed by two Luch / Olymp Russian satellites (Sky News)
• Denmark’s Prime Minister has stated that she does not rule out Russian involvement after a number of drones few over Copenhagen airport, closing the airport for several hours. This follows several recent incidents of Russian drones and fighter jets breaching NATO airspace (Financial Times)
• On this issue, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump said that Russian jets that breach the bloc’s airspace should be shot down (The Times)
• Marking a major reversal in rhetoric and policy on Ukraine, President Trump also stated that Ukraine is in a position to claim back all its territory currently occupied by Russia, writing on social media that the country is in a position to “fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form” (Financial Times)
• Speaking in Washington after the UNGA, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed with Trump’s remarks, stating that member states should shoot down Russian aircraft if necessary (The Times)
• While flying near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on its way to Lithuania, a Spanish military jet carrying defence minister Margarita Robles suffered a GPS “disturbance” (Sky News)
• US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has prompted widespread alarm after his abrupt decision to summon hundreds of general and flag officers – generals and admirals with one to four stars – in Virginia for a meeting without revealing an agenda. Taking place ‘early next week’, the summit has also sparked concern over the risk to active operations and the military’s readiness, given the number of high-ranking officers away from their commands (Financial Times)
• A leaked document has revealed that Russia is helping train and equip Chinese airborne forces and command & control systems in assault tactics and hybrid warfare. According to experts, the training mirrors operations carried out by Russia in Crimea in 2014, raising concerns about future Chinese operations against Taiwan (Financial Times)
• President Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv is working on a “mega deal” for weapons purchases from the US, which is believed to include requests for long-range weapon systems (Politico)

CMS Podcast of the Week:

The General and the Journalist | India the new giant: will it be forced to pick a side?

Coming Up This Week:

Labour Party Conference continues in Liverpool, finishing on Wednesday 1^st October. John Healey is due to speak on Monday. The Conservative Party Conference then commences later in the week, from 5^th-8^th October.

In the US, Donald Trump is hosting Israeli PM Benjamin Netenyahu, with a peace plan for Gaza at the top of the agenda. Also worth keeping an eye on is the last-minute summit being hosted by Pete Hegseth this week, with the date and agenda uncertain, we will have to wait and see what comes out of this.

Additionally, Denmark is due to host two summits this week, the first for EU leaders on Wednesday, followed by a wider European Political Community summit on Thursday. Following the drone incursions which shut several airports, security has been increased, and European states including Germany, France, Sweden, and the UK have agreed to send military personnel and anti-drone systems to Denmark.

 

Image: LPhot Bill Spurr and is under UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

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