The British Army has revealed that it has been testing a new Lockheed Martin’s unmanned aircraft system called the Indago. “An Indago Remote Piloted Aerial System (RPAS) is tested at the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE) [the annual British Army innovative experimentation program],” the British Army said in a Twitter post. The Indago is a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aerial system (UAS) developed by the Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – As noted by the company, ruggedized, backpackable, and rapidly deployable, the Indago system weighs less than 10 lbs., fits within […]
UK
On Monday, WFEL Limited has announced that it received a new contract from the UK’s Ministry of Defence for the supply of 17 Sets of its MGB Medium Girder Bridges. This follows a review of the MoD’s modular gap crossing capabilities, which aimed to draw together existing in-service capabilities into a single coherent capability, according to a company news release. These 17 new MGB bridging sets can be configured in several different ways to provide flexibility to the Commander on the ground. Configurations include concurrent deployment of both a 31-metre Double-Storey and a 5-bay Single-Storey version. The bridging systems will be […]
The Presidential Office of Ukraine has announced on Wednesday that was signed a Memorandum on enhancing cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom in the military and military-technical spheres. The details were given in a 7 October media release, to announce Ukraine signed a memorandum with the United Kingdom, securing 1.25 billion pounds ($1.61 billion) to build new fast attack crafts for the Ukrainian Navy. “This should significantly increase the efficiency and reduce the time of implementation of joint projects in the defense sector, which is critical in the context of aggravation of the situation in the Black Sea region,” said […]
The joint venture company Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has announced on Wednesday that it won a UK Ministry of Defence contract to upgrade and sustain the British Army’s fleet of Fuchs/Fox CBRN reconnaissance vehicles and training simulator. The order is worth over £16 miilion ($20 miilion). The Fuchs is a 6×6 armoured vehicle with built-in detection equipment for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Rheinmetall possesses longstanding experience and wide-ranging expertise in this high-tech field. Thanks to continuous technical advances and performance upgrades, international users of the CBRN Reconnaissance Fuchs/Fox are able to access the very latest in sensor […]
Local councils and refuges continue to lack the necessary funding to assist victims of domestic abuse in the UK, and while the upcoming Domestic Abuse Bill offers some important developments it doesn’t go far enough, argues Lisa Longstaff of Women Against Rape. Britain’s House of Lords is due to start debating a new domestic abuse bill in October 2020, with the proposed law having already passed through the House of Commons in July of this year. While the legislation has some support a key grass-roots victims’ rights organisation is one of several that remains critical of many aspects of the bill. Lisa Longstaff is […]
International online marketplace Amazon has found itself at the center of another racist merchandise debacle after allowing a third-party vendor to sell trucker hats emblazoned with “Black Lives Don’t Matter.” “THIS IS NOT OK,” Alexandra Wilson, a criminal and family barrister from Essex, England, said in a Twitter post condemning the dehumanizing trucker hat on sale via IMERIOi for £12.96 ($16.51). “Multiple people reported it, and racist material should be removed immediately,” Wilson told the BBC. “Websites like Amazon definitely need to have better checks in place for both their descriptions and photos because this isn’t the first time something like […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/16/1080541699_0:0:1918:1079_1200x675_80_0_0_6be6bc2dcadc1fc584c11651a69d9d19.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/202009221080541786-playful-alpaca-invades-uk-soccer-match/ A match between two UK community football teams was recently momentarily halted after a pitch invader decided to make an appearance; however, this wasn’t your typical shirtless invader – this time it was an alpaca. Video captured by local resident Claire Armstrong shows the weekend game between clubs Carlton Athletic and Ilkley Town at a complete pause, as the brown-haired alpaca comes storming through. “After about 15 minutes of it parading around the farmer eventually turned up with some food to try and tempt it back home,” Armstrong, who is an Ilkley Town club […]
Search terms such as “what is crippling anxiety” increased by 800 per cent via Google amid the exam results fiasco in the UK, according to research conducted by a health management firm. If left unchecked, anxiety and stress can have a serious impact on the mental and physical health of students, a long-time health access advocate tells Sputnik. Google search witnessed an explosion in terms centred around ‘coping with rejection’ and ‘crippling anxiety’ amid the UK’s A-level fiasco whereby 40 per cent of students saw their grades significantly downgraded by an algorithm, at a time when COVID-19 prevented them from sitting […]
On Monday, the Royal Air Force has reported that Typhoon fighter jets currently deployed in Lithuania have intercepted a Russian IL-20 (NATO code name COOT A) Ilyushin Il-20M radar reconnaissance and electronic intelligence aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea. The Ilyushin Il-20M is an upgraded electronic signals intelligence aircraft based on a 1950s-era turboprop-powered plane. Spy plane carries a wide array of antennas, optical and infrared sensors, and side-looking radar, as well as satellite communication equipment. The IL-20 was monitored, as it flew through the Lithuanian Flight Information Region in international airspace, to ensure the safety of other airspace users as […]
On 20 August, the UK Ministry of Defense has announced new hybrid technology is being tested on the Army’s Foxhound and Jackal 2 vehicles following a £3 million investment. Offering improved silent mobility, hybrid and electric drive systems will provide sustainability benefits and deliver potential military advantages, reducing noise and increasing stealth capability. Electric systems will also provide game-changing power off-board, while increased power onboard will allow the vehicles to operate the latest technologies. The innovative hybrid electric-drive system will be developed by NP Aerospace. The Coventry-based company will work in collaboration with General Dynamics UK, Supacat and Magtec to create […]
COLOGNE, Germany — With mainland Europe and the United Kingdom pursuing their own sixth-generation fighter programs, differing views have started to emerge about how many nations should partake in the action. At issue is whether the British Tempest and the German-French-Spanish Future Combat Air System can coexist in the long run without cannibalizing the continent’s defense budget. What’s more, while leaders in the U.K. have openly advertised their appetite to pick up partner countries for Tempest, Paris and Berlin are divided about admitting additional members, besides Spain, for fear of slowing down their effort. Click here to see the Defense News […]
The British Army has deployed its upgraded Foxhound armoured vehicles to Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of Exercise Quick Response 2020. The purpose of the exercise is to test and demonstrate the European Union Force’s ability to quickly gain reinforcements and deploy forces to ensure continued security and stability. “Quick Response 2020.” will be held throughout the country, in close cooperation with local authorities, law enforcement agencies and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces. British army Foxhound armoured vehicles and other support vehicles were delivered to Sarajevo Int Airport together with spare parts instruments and accessories by one of Antonov Airlines’ […]
A fleet of modern autonomous and unmanned systems visited the flight deck os the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales. HMS Prince of Wales provided an impressive setting for the Future Maritime Aviation Force Accelerator Day this week, bringing together experts from the navy, MOD and industry to meet and discuss the vision for drone operations. It comes as the navy seeks to develop and invest in the latest technology, bringing new, world-beating equipment to the frontline quicker. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Brigadier Dan Cheesman, Chief Technology Officer for the Royal Navy, co-hosted the […]
Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets, from 6 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, intercepted Russian military aircraft while they were flying over the Baltic Sea. The Typhoons approached the Russian formation to identify its composition and established it was an IL-38 ‘MAY’ Maritime Patrol Aircraft, being escorted by two Su-27 Flanker B fighter jets. This was the first time in recent years that the Royal Air Force have seen and intercepted a ‘MAY’ which was operating alongside a Russian OSCAR class submarine which the Typhoons photographed on the surface as it transited towards the west across the Baltic Sea. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE […]
Britain’s biggest defense company BAE Systems reported that sales increased by 4% on a constant currency basis and excluding the impact of acquisitions, to £9.9bn or $13 billion. “We have delivered a robust performance in the first half of the year, thanks to the efforts of all of our employees. We started the year from a strong position and we have taken actions to enhance our resilience, ensuring we continued to deliver against our customer priorities, whilst keeping our employees safe,” said Chief Executive, BAE Systems adding that: “Assuming no significant COVID-19 resurgence, we expect a good second half to the […]
A Royal Air Force Chinook heavy-lift helicopter has made an emergency landing in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The U.S. Ministry of Defense has reported that the incident happened on Tuesday evening (at 22:30 local time) near Llangynin, and the Chinook crew suffered “minor injuries”. The WalesOnline also reported that residents of Llangynin village describe being woken with a start when a Chinook helicopter ‘hit power lines’ – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The electricity went off and residents rushed to their doorsteps after hearing a ‘blaring’ helicopter noise. It was then that a Royal Air Force Chinook made an emergency landing in […]
The British Army has begun upgrading Foxhound armoured vehicles in the run-up to the deployment of its troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “8 Parachute Field Company are the first workshop in the British Army to carry out the new civil order modifications on the Foxhound,” the Army said in a statement. “The project has successfully partnered regular, reserve, civilian contractors and industry to deliver equipment for 16 Air Assault Brigade.” Assisted by the project team, the Company tried and tested different LEAN methods to create the most efficient implementation procedures as possible. The teams of mechanics worked closely with General Dynamics providing […]
The British Army received the first Ares armoured vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems–UK. Last week, the first six vehicles were delivered to the Household Cavalry Regiment at Bulford, Wiltshire, according to a recent service news release. Named for the ancient Greek god of war, Ares delivers a step-change in the British Army’s battlefield capability. Ares, and the other variants in the Ajax family of armoured vehicles, will replace the Army’s Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) vehicles which have been the mainstay of armoured reconnaissance for almost fifty years. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Ajax family is the next-generation of […]
LONDON – The first element of a likely $7.5 billion upgrade of the British armed forces’ satellite-telecommunications capabilities has finally been signed by the Ministry of Defence and Airbus Defence and Space. The deal, worth more than $630 million, will see Airbus build a new telecommunications satellite as a stop gap to bolster military capabilities ahead of the introduction of a new generation of space craft scheduled to start entering service towards the end of the decade. Airbus and the MoD have been locked in negotiation over the deal to construct the satellite, known as Skynet 6A, since the company was nominated in 2017, without a competition, as the preferred supplier. Under the terms of the deal the […]
The fact of registration and authorization of users on Sputnik websites via users’ account or accounts on social networks indicates acceptance of these rules. Users are obliged abide by national and international laws. Users are obliged to speak respectfully to the other participants in the discussion, readers and individuals referenced in the posts. The websites’ administration has the right to delete comments made in languages other than the language of the majority of the websites’ content. In all language versions of the sputniknews.com websites any comments posted can be edited. A user comment will be deleted if it: does not correspond […]
LONDON – Britain’s Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with General Atomics for the first three Protector remotely piloted air vehicles destined to equip the Royal Air Force with a replacement for its Reaper drone force. A £65 million ($80 million) contract for three Protectors, the British version of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian was announced by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a virtual air power conference held by the RAF July 15. Protector will fly further, hit harder and, crucially, be able to fly in unsegregated civilian airspace compared with the Reaper vehicles widely used by the British in Afghanistan and the Middle East over the last several years. Three ground stations and other associated support equipment are also included in an initial […]
LONDON – Nearly 750 armored vehicles purchased by the British Ministry of Defence to combat the threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan are being axed from the Army’s force structure. Mastiff, Ridgeback and Wolfhound armored fleets are to be pensioned off in the latest drawdown of vehicles under the Land Environment Fleet Optimisation Plan (LEFOP) by the British Army, MoD procurement minister Jeremy lawmakers this month. The plan includes the complete deletion of some fleets and the reduction in size of others, as vehicle numbers are right-sized to reflect the needs of the British Army. Some 733 of the vehicles built […]
Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) says that countries such as the UK and US don’t need to worry about taxes and can essentially print as much money as they require, an argument which has taken increasing significance amid the COVID-19 crisis because of the level of spending governments are engaged in to help counter the effects of the global recession. But Michael Roberts, a long-time economist with investment research firms in the City of London, argues that whilst it is true that governments do not wholly depend on taxes in order to spend money, printing money without adding to the productive capacity […]
Two hundred and sixteen medical professionals signed an article published in The Lancet medical journal demanding an end to the “ongoing torture and medical neglect” of award-wining WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, who remains incarcerated in Britain’s Belmarsh maximum-security prison. Clinical psychologist Dr Lissa Johnson, who co-authored the letter, explained to Sputnik why she and her colleagues felt it necessary to draft this latest version despite having already published a letter in February. Sputnik: Why did you co-author this letter in The Lancet demanding an “end to the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange”? Dr Lissa Johnson: We wrote this letter […]
British customers should use the guest WiFi of pubs, bars and restaurants as a means of aiding the upcoming COVID-19 track and trace requirements, issued by their government, argues technology firm Purple WiFi. The UK-based company, which specialises in data capture and predictive analytics, notes that it would be inefficient and less secure for businesses in the hospitality industry, which will start to re-open on 4 July 2020, to have to collect customer data from every person who comes to their premises to buy a pint or order food. Dean Cookson, Purple’s Marketing Director, explains why he thinks his company’s WiFi technology […]
Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Homes Group (ICG), explains why many care and nursing homes in England and Wales were already on shaky ground, financially speaking, even before the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Padgham runs four separate care homes as well as provides voluntary support and representation to other providers via the ICG. Sputnik: You have been warning of care and nursing homes “closing in the wake” of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why do you think that’s a real possibility? Michael Padgham: We have been warning for many years that due to chronic Government under-funding, the social care sector […]
LONDON — Producing a promised new defense and security review was never going to be straightforward for the British government, but the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the fast-evolving geostrategic position has muddied the waters even further, leaving open the question of future investment priorities. The integrated defense, security and foreign policy review ordered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson soon after he entered office last December was meant to provide answers to how Britain would make its way in the world post-Brexit. That exercise is partly, but not entirely, on ice as the government focuses its attention on trying to […]
A “system failure”, throughout the process in providing medication, at hospitals, primary care facilities and care homes, is unnecessarily costing people’s health and well-being, according to Professor Rachel Elliot who co-author a new study on medication error in England. Tens of millions of mistakes throughout the process of providing medication in England result in avoidable costs to the NHS of upwards of £98 million and at least 1700 lost lives, every year, according to a new peer-reviewed study, published in the British Medical Journal. Rachel Elliot, Professor of Health Economics at the University of Manchester, who co-authored the report Economic analysis of […]
LONDON – Four international consortia have been shortlisted by Britain’s Ministry of Defence to enter the final stage of bidding to operate ground control facilities for its Skynet satellite communications network. Teams led by Airbus Defence & Space, Babcock Integrated Technology, BT and Serco, have been down-selected for the Skynet 6 Service Delivery Wrap program following the MoD’s Defence Digital organization release of an invitation to tender document to the remaining contenders June 12. The make-up of one of the teams vying for the ground station operations contract is already known, while others have yet to announce who their partners are. […]
The British government has released documents detailing parts of the relationship between the National Health Service and for-profit surveillance firms such as Faculty and Palantir and global consultancies such as McKinsey, following the threat of court proceedings brought by openDemocracy and Foxglove. Phil Booth, coordinator of the organisation medConfidential that campaigns for patient confidentiality and consent in Britain, explains the “devastating” revelations in the documents as well as what is still unknown about how the private information of millions of people is being handled. Sputnik: The last time we spoke you explained that NHS data was at risk from for-profit-surveillance firms. Since […]
The post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Great Britain will not extend the transition period with the EU beyond the year-end deadline, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Friday. He took to Twitter after chairing an EU Joint Committee meeting. I just chaired a constructive EU Joint Committee meeting with @MarosSefcovic I formally confirmed the UK will not extend the transition period & the moment for extension has now passed. On 1 January 2021 we will take back control and regain our political & economic independence pic.twitter.com/nZjNpez8LI — Michael Gove (@michaelgove) June 12, 2020 MORE TO FOLLOW Source […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107957/01/1079570158_0:192:1200:867_1200x675_80_0_0_99731d2d53a07da5dcccb7bee63bcd72.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/202006091079570251-sweet-toddler-loves-pet-cat/ We love our pets, as they are cherished members of the family. Oftentimes this love for our animals is best shown by children, as an adorable toddler recently demonstrated. Footage shared on Instagram captures Nagi, an adorable toddler residing in London and Tokyo, in a compiled series of loving moments over a recent weekend cuddling with Pimms, one of the family cats. The sweet tot who is a little over a year old already knows to be kind to one’s animal friend. Such precious companions! Source link
LONDON – Britain’s first dedicated cyber regiment has been officially established as part of the Army’s drive to modernize its response to the growing digital threat posed by potential adversaries. Creation of the unit, the 13th Signals Regiment, is part of an ongoing restructuring of the British Army, known as Army 2020 Refine, which includes the creation of a division conducting cyber, electronic warfare, intelligence, information operations and unconventional warfare. The cyber regiment is built around a core of about 250 specialists and is tasked with combating threats to Army operations overseas and domestically. The new unit will also provide technical […]
A combination of military and media pressure has resulted in the termination of Iraq war related criminal investigations, reflecting the power of the British military as “the only institution in the UK that is allowed to run their own criminal courts and prosecution service”, according to the Peace Pledge Union. The head of the UK military’s prosecuting body, the Service Prosecuting Authority, recently announced that they would be ending over 1,000 criminal investigations into alleged war crimes committed by British forces in Iraq. This decision comes only a few months after the Ministry of Defence was accused of covering up killings of […]
14 per cent of Small and Medium-Sized businesses won’t have enough cash ‘to last four weeks of lockdown’, according to the latest business survey conducted by two country-wide accountancy networks with tens of thousands of members. 99 per cent of all UK employment is within Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), businesses employing 250 people or less. The Association of Certified Charters Accountants (ACCA) UK and the Corporate Finance Network (CFN) produce weekly reports tracking the financial health of SMEs in the UK amid the COVID-19 lockdown. ACCA UK explains to Sputnik that while there has been much effort from the government […]
UK 07:00 GMT 08.05.2020Get short URL The British government has been accused by critics of failing to properly take into account the millions of self-employed and precarious workers whilst arranging for financial support measures for men and women who can’t work thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown. A joint lawsuit has been launched in the High Court against the British government by UBER drivers and the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), over what they describe as discrimination from the UK treasury in its implementation of COVID-19 financial assistance programmes. UK Treasury secretary Rishi Sunak announced plans to cover 80% of […]
The competition to build up to three 40,000-ton vessels was expected to have been worth as much as $1.9 billion at the time the competition was unexpectedly terminated in November 2019. Source link