Weekly Defence Rundown 8th – 14th September 2025

The past week has been hugely busy in the political, defence, and diplomatic realms, as the international defence and security community gathered in London for DSEI UK, the Defence Industrial Strategy was published, Starmer’s reshuffle continued with the appointment of new Defence Ministers – coming amidst growing pressure from his own party over the Mandelson scandal – and NATO scrambled to shoot down Russian drones entering Polish airspace.

To start at the beginning, on Tuesday 9^th September, the world’s largest integrated defence and security exhibition opened in London, with DSEI UK returning on an even larger scale than the 2023 edition. At the same time, the Government published its Defence Industrial Strategy, which laid out how Defence will become an ‘engine for growth’. The key takeaway from the Strategy was a £250 million investment towards Defence Growth Deals, with Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield, and Plymouth set to receive the initial investment aimed at expanding their defence industries.

Also on the domestic front, Starmer’s reshuffle resulted in a change to the Defence ministerial team. While John Healey will remain Secretary of State for Defence, Luke Pollard has been promoted to the renamed Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry. Meanwhile, Al Carns will be the Minister for the Armed Forces, and Louise Jones is taking over as Minister for Veterans.

On the geopolitical and diplomatic front, the biggest headline of the week was Russia’s drone incursion into Poland. With at least 19 drones shot down by NATO forces, this marks a significant escalation between Russia and NATO, and is seen as a Kremlin test. Denmark, France, Germany, and the UK have since agreed to join a new mission to bolster NATO’s eastern flank. Tensions were also on the rise in the Middle East, after Israel conducted several strikes against the Hamas leadership in Qatar.

Defence Brief: Key Insights from the Week        

• ‘Britain losing space arms race’ (The Telegraph)
• Welder ‘army’ of ex-offenders could help UK ramp up plans for war readiness (The i Paper)
• Israelis banned from UK defence academy over war in Gaza (The Times)
• Ukrainian drones to be built in Britain in defence ‘game-changer’ (The Telegraph)
• Tom Tugendhat backs calls to marshal financial services to boost defence (CityAM)
• UK to kick off new defence industrial strategy with £250mn (Financial Times)
• MoD puts £182m towards ‘cyber sixth forms’ to boost defence (The Telegraph)

Industry Latest:

• QinetiQ wins training simulation contract for future Dreadnought-class crews (Janes)
• BDT UK partners with Cambridge Precision on rifle bid (UK Defence Journal)
• BDT UK launches industrial strategy for Project Grayburn (UK Defence Journal)
• Expanding urban warfare training realism for the British Army (UK Defence Journal)
• GM Defense Reveals New GSUP at DSEI UK (Joint Forces)
• 4GD modernising Copehill Down training village (Calibre Defence)
• VRAI launches VADE mission planning system (Janes)
• United Kingdom, Norway join CAVS programme (Janes)

Direct from Government:

• Security delivered for working people as UK-US ties strengthened with new Google Cloud partnership for classified information sharing (MoD Press Release)
• Landmark Wales partnership to create jobs and harness innovation (MoD Press Release)
• British economy sees defence dividend as new figures reveal above inflation increase in spend with industry (MoD Press Release)
• £2 billion of military support for Ukraine secured through UK-led initiative (MoD Press Release)
• Backing British business: reforms to champion UK defence companies on the world stage (MoD Press Release)

News from Further Afar:

• Leonardo, Thales, and Airbus are reportedly close to signing an initial agreement to combine their satellite businesses within the year. Under ‘Project Bromo’, the three aerospace groups plan to establish a satellite manufacturing company to compete with rivals from the US and China (Reuters)
• As the ‘Zapad 2025’ military exercises between Russia and Belarus continue, Russian MiG-31 fighter jets equipped with the hypersonic Kinzhal ballistic missile completed a four-hour flight over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea (Reuters)
• With their relationship under strain over Greenland, the Danish government has placed a record order for the Franco-Italian SAMP-T long-range surface-to-air system over the US Patriot system. It has also said that it will choose a Norwegian, German, or French medium-range air defence system for a total of $9.1bn, marking the country’s biggest single investment in defence (Financial Times)
• At least 19 drones entered Polish airspace last week, making it the first time a NATO member is known to have fired shorts during the Russia-Ukraine war. Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and NATO mid-air refuelling aircraft were scrambled to shoot down the drones on Tuesday evening (Reuters)
• Also on Tuesday, Israel launched strikes against Hamas leaders meeting in Doha, with five thought to have been killed (Sky News)
• French President Macron has named Sébastien Lecornu as the country’s new Prime Minister, after a vote of confidence led to the ousting of François Bayrou. Lecornu has spent the last three years as France’s Armed Forces minister and was seen as a favourite for the position (BBC)

CMS Podcast of the Week:

Sensing the Signal | What are the key trends in defence technology?

Coming Up This Week:

As the fallout of the Peter Mandelson scandal continues to put pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, it is being reported that Labour MPs are warning he will have to leave office by the May local elections unless he can turn around the party’s political fortunes.

These rumours come as President Trump arrives in the UK for his unprecedented second state visit. On the agenda for the three-day visit is a US-UK tech partnership, plans to fast-track a new generation of small nuclear power stations, and discussions for greater defence collaboration.

Finally, while the high level General Debate doesn’t begin until 23^rd September, the UN General Assembly’s 80^th session has now opened and is worth keeping an eye on, especially given the possibility that the UK may use it to announce its recognition of a Palestinian state.

Image: CPL Niran Lewis and is under UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

CMS Strategic specialises in defence communications and government relations, helping clients operating in the cybersecurity, aerospace, maritime, land, and defence technology fields stay ahead. CMS Strategic supports defence companies of all sizes in navigating policy changes, engaging with key stakeholders, and aligning their messaging with evolving government priorities.

By continuously monitoring the defence landscape, CMS Strategic ensures its clients stay informed, proactive, and strategically positioned in a fast-changing industry.

Find out more about how our team can assist you

Discover More