Latest news with #MariaEagle
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Spy balloons that can fly major heights to be developed in UK to keep Brits safe
The Ministry of Defence said the balloons offer low-cost surveillance as they don't need a crew on board and can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long periods The UK is developing spy balloons that can fly at double the altitude of a commercial flight to conduct intelligence and surveillance missions. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said trials of new high-altitude balloons flying between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above the Earth - higher than most military aircraft operate - have been successful. The balloons offer low-cost surveillance as they don't need a crew on board and can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long periods. The future use of such balloons could also include support to operations and reliable communication and fast internet connection to disaster zones or remote areas with no coverage, while also providing information for weather forecasting and climate research. The MoD will now develop a fleet of this class of balloon, following the successful trials in South Dakota, USA, earlier this year. It comes two years after the US shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been flying over its airspace. At the time, the UK's Tory Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he would carry out a security review to look at the dangers of spy balloons. Defence minister Maria Eagle hailed the UK 'pushing boundaries' with its successful trials of spy balloons. 'This innovation is about giving our Armed Forces the edge – better awareness, better communications, and lower maintenance needs,' she said. 'Stratospheric technology like this could transform how we operate in complex environments, keeping our people safer and better informed than ever before. 'This successful trial is another example of UK defence pushing boundaries, with real potential to strengthen our future capabilities.' James Gavin, head of UK Defence's innovation, prove and exploit team, said: 'These latest trials have been incredibly fruitful and pave the way for more collaborative working with our allies to develop capabilities that will benefit our Armed Forces.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain to build fleet of spy balloons
Britain is developing a fleet of spy balloons in an intelligence arms race with China. The military has successfully tested high-altitude craft which ministers say will give the Armed Forces 'the edge' on intelligence gathering. The uncrewed vehicles can provide surveillance and communications links, such as internet services, from an altitude of up to 80,000ft. Britain's move to develop its own fleet comes two years after the US air force shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast. The incident prompted widespread concerns across the West about the extent of Beijing's surveillance activities. At the time, Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister, said that the RAF would take down any such spy balloons found to be flying over the UK. British officials oversaw trials of prototype spy balloons in South Dakota earlier this year. The craft can fly at between 60,000ft and 80,000ft and cover a distance of more than 2,000 nautical miles – the distance from London to Timbuktu. Maria Eagle, the defence minister, said: 'This innovation is about giving our Armed Forces the edge – better awareness, better communications, and lower maintenance needs. 'Stratospheric technology like this could transform how we operate in complex environments, keeping our people safer and better informed than ever before. 'This successful trial is another example of UK defence pushing boundaries, with real potential to strengthen our future capabilities.' The balloons have been developed as part of Project Aether, a military research programme launched under the Tories in 2021. As well as providing military intelligence, they could also be used for support in disaster zones, providing fast wireless internet connections. Officials said the craft, which are fitted with tiny sensors, could also be used to improve weather forecasting and research into climate change. China has heavily deployed spy balloons in the past few years amid growing concerns about its surveillance operations against Western countries. US officials revealed earlier this year that the spy balloon they shot down in 2023 was packed with cutting edge American-made technology. The balloon spent a week crossing the US and Canada, flying over sensitive airbases and nuclear missile launch sites before being downed by an F-22. At the time, American officials said it had been used by China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States. In March of this year, Taiwan, which Beijing still claims sovereignty over, said it had detected six Chinese spy balloons off its main island. In a sign of growing Western fears, the French air force recently conducted an exercise in which fighter jets shot down high altitude balloons. Sébastien Lecornu, France's defence minister, said that near-space altitudes were becoming an 'area of conflict' amid heightened Chinese activity. The MoD's procurement body, known as Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), is now leading Britain's efforts to develop its own spy balloon fleet. James Gavin, its head, said: 'Defence procurement is making strides in the innovation space and DE&S is looking more at the art of the possible, pushing the boundaries and scoping new technologies. 'These latest trials have been incredibly fruitful and pave the way for more collaborative working with our allies to develop capabilities that will benefit our Armed Forces.'
Daily Record
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
UK military now has new AI digital targeting system similar to Ukraine and Russia
The ASGARD system is designed to dramatically enhance the speed and accuracy of the UK's battlefield strikes - with the UK military now having a system similar to those used by Ukraine and Russia The British Army has revealed cutting-edge AI digital targeting technology comparable to systems deployed by Russia and Ukraine. ASGARD is engineered to drastically enhance both the velocity and precision of the UK's combat operations. The technology underwent trials during recent NATO military exercises, employing artificial intelligence and sophisticated communication networks to identify and engage hostile targets across extended distances. It allows choices that previously required hours to be executed within minutes, representing a substantial enhancement to operational pace. ASGARD was revealed by Defence Secretary John Healey last October, with contracts distributed in January before an official prototype was deployed mere months afterwards, reports the Express. The system underwent successful evaluation during NATO's Exercise Hedgehog, carried out in Estonia across a fortnight in May. In a statement, Maria Eagle, the Defence Procurement Minister, said: "We are learning the lessons from Ukraine so our frontline personnel can strike further and faster and maintain advantage over our adversaries. "ASGARD exemplifies the vision of the Strategic Defence Review, with speed and world-class capability." Describing the system as a "breakthrough", Sir Roland Walker, the Chief of General Staff, added: "ASGARD helps double our lethality and exponentially reduces the time to see, decide, and strike. What took hours, now takes minutes." He also highlighted how the new system brings Britain closer to the high-speed targeting networks employed by the likes of Ukraine and Russia. It forms part of the Army's strategy to establish a 'Digital Targeting Web' across the Armed Forces by 2027 which has already secured backing of over £1billion in funding. Meanwhile, Britain and its people are not safe, a former Nato general secretary has warned, as he told Parliament describing the country as underprepared for war is an "understatement". Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, who co-authored the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), said the UK is lacking in ammunition, training, people, logistics, and medical capacity. He told the upper chamber: "Bearing in mind the difficult world that we live in and have to survive in, this is what I firmly believe: we are underinsured, we are underprepared, we are not safe. This country and its people are not safe. "The British people are faced with a world in turmoil, with great power competitions spilling over now into conflict, with constant grey zone attacks on our mainland, and with Russia - often with the co-operation of Iran, China and North Korea - challenging the existing world order. We simply in this country are not safe."
The National
16-07-2025
- Business
- The National
£250m cash injection for nukes branded 'gimmick'
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray travelled north of the Border on Wednesday to visit HMNB Clyde at Faslane to unveil the investment alongside Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle. The UK Government said that the money would ensure the base – located less than 40 miles from Scotland's largest city – could store the next generation of nuclear submarines. But the Scottish Greens said Labour were throwing money 'into the bottomless pit of money that is the Trident nuclear weapon programme'. Ross Greer (below), who is running to become party co-leader, said: 'Pouring hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money into military gimmicks won't make us any safer. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'It will only take money away from the urgent work needed to lift children out of poverty and tackle the climate emergency. The only winners here are the arms companies who will make a fortune. 'The UK Government continues to use Scotland as a dumping ground for their weapons of mass slaughter. This new funding isn't going to reduce the risk of living near Faslane nor the totally unacceptable risk of transporting nuclear and explosive materials by road through Scotland's towns and cities.' READ MORE: Ian Murray to visit Faslane to announce £250m investment in nuclear base The West of Scotland MSP said there could 'never be justification for weapons which are only capable of indiscriminate mass killing', adding: 'The terrible legacy of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is all the warning we need from history in that regard. 'Our communities in the West of Scotland need sustainable, safe jobs and a decent safety net in the social security system. This money could have been used for that, but instead it will go straight to some of the world's biggest arms manufacturers.' He proposed turning Faslane into a 'conventional naval base, meeting our defensive needs on the west coast for a fraction of the cost of this nuclear arsenal'. The costs of maintaining Britain's nuclear arsenal are spiralling – and as the fleet ages, crew are forced to go on longer, riskier patrols. A report in 2023 found that costs had increased from the previous year by £38.2 billion, a hike of 62% from 2022. Murray defended the spend ahead of his visit, saying: 'It will ensure the Royal Navy can deliver the continuous at sea deterrent from a modern, efficient base which will result in a better environment for our hero submariners to live, work and train in.'
STV News
16-07-2025
- Business
- STV News
Scottish Secretary and defence minister to launch £250m Faslane investment
The Scottish Secretary and UK defence procurement minister are to launch a £250m investment at the base housing Scotland's nuclear weapons. The funding for HMNB Clyde at Faslane was announced in the spending review last month and will be spent over the next three years to improve infrastructure at the site. The upgrade will ensure the base can house the next generation of nuclear submarines. UK Government ministers Ian Murray and Maria Eagle will visit the site on Wednesday, meeting with senior military officials, the leaders of Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils, and local MPs. Scottish Secretary Mr Murray described the spending as a 'defence dividend' as he continued to talk up the economic impact of investing in the sector in Scotland, including through the Clyde 2070 programme, which will see billions pumped into the industry in the coming decades. 'With Faslane home to the nation's first and final line of defence – the UK's nuclear deterrent, it's only right that Clyde 2070 represents one of the most significant UK Government investments over the coming decades,' he said. 'It will ensure the Royal Navy can deliver the continuous at sea deterrent from a modern, efficient base which will result in a better environment for our hero submariners to live, work and train in. 'Crucially it will also create skilled jobs – including for small and medium-size firms – boost the economy and help tackle the critical skills gaps facing the country in sectors such as nuclear, construction, maritime and project management, by bringing together government, Scottish communities, industry, supply chains and academia to address the challenges.' Defence procurement minister Ms Eagle said Scotland plays a 'crucial role' in the country's Trident nuclear deterrent, which forms the 'bedrock of the UK's defence'. She added: 'We are today re-affirming that unshakeable commitment by launching this multibillion-pound investment to His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, which is vital to our deterrence capability. 'The initial £250 million of funding over three years will support jobs, skills and growth across the west of Scotland. 'This Government will keep the UK safe for generations to come while delivering on the Plan for Change and making defence an engine for growth.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
