Latest news with #MatthewSavill
Euronews
21-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
How is the UK boosting defence? Everything to know about its strategy
This month, the United Kingdom took one step closer to battle readiness with the launch of its Strategic Defence Review. The is a 'landmark' shift in how the country deters and defends itself from threats, shifting towards a 'warfighting readiness' in the Euro-Atlantic. The UK commits in the review to up defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2027, taking the UK past the NATO benchmark, and to a further 3 per cent 'when fiscal and political conditions allow'. What this will do is allow the UK to create a military that combines 'conventional and digital warfighters, the power of drones, AI in tanks and artillery with procurement measured in months, not years,' the plan says. These are some of the new military technologies that the UK is committing to in this new plan. The 'next generation' of the UK's Air Force One of the first commitments in the UK's new plan is to create a 'next generation' Royal Air Force (RAF) with F-35 jets, upgraded Typhoons and next-generation fast jets. The UK military already relies on the F-35 Lightning, a short take-off and vertical landing variant of the craft that operates from short-field bases and air-capable ships in the UK's Navy. The ones currently employed by the Navy are just under 16 metres long, can get up to 1.6 Machs (1,914 kilometres an hour) and have a lifting capacity of 18,000 tonnes. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 Lightning, said in 2024 the UK reconfirmed its commitment to receiving 138 F-35s and that the aircraft would be jointly managed by the Royal Navy and the Air Force. Experts have previously voiced concerns to Euronews Next of a possible 'kill switch' that might exist on board that would let the American company Lockheed Martin control how and when programme updates happen. However, the firm has denied that such a 'kill switch' exists. Euronews Next asked the British Parliament to confirm whether the F-35 deals would still go ahead despite these concerns but did not get an immediate reply. Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that while the F-35 is a good aircraft, the UK military is still missing a long-range standoff weapon to use with it because of the 'pathetically slow' implementation of Spear 3. The technology should be used to boost what the UK armed forces already have, he added. 'We need to improve essentially our combat capability and our firepower,' he told a press conference shortly after the UK report was released. Phasing out the Eurofighter Typhoon The UK also said it will be working on the next generation of 'fast jets'. The plan says this will come through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint venture between the UK's BAE Systems, Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement and Italy's Leonardo S.P.A. to create a sixth-generation combat aircraft by 2035. A November 2024report from the parliament states that £2 billion (€2.37 billion) had already been invested and an additional £12 billion (€14.22 billion) had been earmarked by the British government over the next ten years for the programme. The new crafts will replace the current Eurofighter Typhoon, which according to the UK parliament, is scheduled to be phased out of service in the 2030s. Sixth-generation crafts like the ones the UK, Japanese and Italian militaries want to develop are more advanced than the current fifth-generation fighters, according to David Bacci, a senior research fellow with the University of Oxford wrote in a piece for The Conversation. One of the likely innovations in sixth-generation fighters, according to Bacci, is the complete removal of vertical tails at the back of the aircraft in favour of thrust vectoring, which will make the aircrafts more stealthy in the air. The crafts could also have enhanced engines for better performance, the deployment of drones from the aircraft and an 'advanced digital cockpit' supported by virtual reality (VR) that 'will allow the pilot to effectively become a battle manager,' he continued. The plans for these airfighters would be folded into a broader plan for an army that is '10 times more lethal' and combines air defence, artificial intelligence, long-range weapons and land drone swarms. GCAP is 'pretty important' for the UK aerospace industry in the short term, Savill said, but it's a 'vast project with a lot of commitment in the near term,' while it likely won't be operational for the next 15 years. 'Taking a punt on GCAP is one of the areas where I guess [the UK] is de-facto making a significant resources choice,' Savill said. 'In combat air terms, we are betting big' A 'hybrid' Royal Navy with new submarines every '18 months' Air fighters would also be integrated into a 'hybrid' Royal Navy, and used in conjunction with drones, warships, and submarines to patrol the North Atlantic 'and beyond,' Savill added. The plan also promises up to 12 'conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines through the AUKUS programme, he said. The goal is to have a new submarine delivered 'every 18 months,' the plan read, which would provide the region with 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles over the next ten years. Savill said to meet this goal, you need 'significant' investment into Barrow and Raynesway, Derby, the site where the submarines will be manufactured, but the plan does not lay out how it will achieve that. 'So I think that feels like setting a hard target,' Savill said, noting that there will have to be a 'major culture change' within the UK's armed forces to reach these targets. 'What [the review] sets is these targets that say you should have even the big stuff on contract within two years. 'And I would be fascinated to know how they're going to do that because the record is not great up until now". The UK currently operates seven Astute Class attack submarines, which will be phased out by the new submarines in the late 2030s. Lessons learned by Ukraine The UK says it will be adopting some of the lessons learned from the battlefield in Ukraine, such as harnessing the power of drones, data and digital warfare into its new strategy and war readiness strategy. 'The fundamental lesson for today is that with technology developing faster than at any time in human history, our own forces, and the whole of defence, must innovate at wartime pace,' the report reads. One of the standout technologies in Ukraine, according to experts, is the drone industry, which accounts for roughly 25 per cent of the country's weapons supply. The military revved up the industry from about 5,000 drones at the start of the 2022 invasion to upwards of 4 million in 2024, according to the Kyiv School of Economics. The military now has a national portfolio of specialised drones, like carrier drones, target drones, electronic warfare drones, and AI-powered swarm drones. While no specific investments are planned for a drone fleet in the UK's defence plan, several types of drones are identified as priorities, like long-range, single-use, underwater, surface, surveillance, and 'one-way effector' drones. The report mentions that the UK would be 'doubling investment in autonomous systems' to boost the country's export potential and would create a new 'drone centre.'. Like in Ukraine, the UK military is planning a shift towards greater use of autonomy and AI in its forces. The plan says it will do this by establishing an operating capability for a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre by next February. One of the major lessons from Ukraine is also how to drive the entire military 'by the logic of the innovation cycle' by finding, buying and using innovation to bring it from 'ideas to frontline at speed.'. Experts have previously told Euronews Next that the Ukrainian government uses a 'Danish model' to directly finance defence companies and start-ups that manufacture weapons on the ground. The model has brought faster approval times for new defence prototypes to three months, which would have usually taken over a year in peacetime. One way the UK wants to replicate this success is through a Defence AI Investment Fund to 'accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across defence' and prioritising the most promising use-cases. The plan also says the UK will continue to set aside £3 billion (€3.56 billion) for Ukraine every year 'for as long as it takes.'.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 key questions on Israel's strikes, Iran's response, and the risk of a wider war
Israel targeted nuclear and military sites in Iran in airstrikes early Friday morning. The strikes are a major escalation that threatens to expand into a wider regional conflict. These are five key questions in the wake of Israel's air war. Israel's widespread airstrikes on Iran effectively damaged the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which officials said was a primary goal. The strikes hit over 100 targets, including Iran's air defense systems, missile launchers, and senior military leadership. Now, all eyes are on Tehran's response and the specter of a wider conflict. And there are questions over whether the US will get pulled into the fight. Here are some main questions stemming from the attacks. Iran initially responded to the attack by firing 100 drones at Israel on Friday, which the Israel Defense Forces said were mostly intercepted. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "should anticipate a severe punishment" in response to the strikes, and that Iran "won't let them go unpunished." Hours later, the IDF said Iran had launched "dozens" of missiles at Israel in what appeared to be several waves. The military said its air defenses were actively intercepting threats, and video footage captured several impacts. "The Iranian response might be delayed or split into multiple phases," said Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. "But their main weapon will be ballistic missiles," he added, "which have the best chance of inflicting damage on Israel, whereas drone and cruise missile attacks will face more extensive Israeli defences." It is not unprecedented for Iran to launch powerful weapons at Israel; Tehran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at its foe in April and October last year. However, those strikes were mostly intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the US. Beyond direct strikes, another way that Iran could retaliate is through the so-called "Axis of Resistance," a vast network of militias it is aligned with throughout the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Israel has been battling these forces, and Hamas in Gaza, since the October 7, 2023, attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long advocated for destroying Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes. The US, however, has been trying to reach a new deal with Iran (and has threatened violence if a deal isn't done). The strikes could derail those efforts and even goad Iran into racing to build a nuclear arsenal. Israel's strikes threaten to spark a wider regional conflict, analysts at London's Chatham House think tank warned Friday. "Far from being a preventive action, this strike risks triggering a broader regional escalation and may inadvertently bolster the Islamic Republic's domestic and international legitimacy," Sanam Vakil, Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program director, said. Last year, Tehran reportedly threatened to target Gulf state oil facilities if they allowed Israel access to their airspace for strikes against Iran. It's unclear what routes Israeli aircraft used in the attacks, but there's been speculation Israel could exploit the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria to get its aircraft directly over Iraq for strikes. Russia is also a close ally of Iran, and the two have increased their defense cooperation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, Nikita Smagin, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment, said in December that the Kremlin is unlikely to come to Iran's direct aid in order to avoid direct confrontations with Israel and the US. The US has helped arm and defend Israel, notably in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks. The world will be watching to see how President Donald Trump responds. Trump has sought to broker a new nuclear deal with Iran, and in the wake of the Israeli attacks overnight, warned of "even more brutal" strikes from Israel if Iran refuses a new agreement. Last year, the US Navy helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel in two major attacks, and it has rotated multiple aircraft carriers and many warships into the region since 2023, in a show of support for Israel and to deter its enemies, including Iran. The US and other NATO countries have also defended international shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The US has a substantial military presence in the Middle East, including naval forces, ground troops, and strike aircraft. A Navy spokesperson told BI that the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group — consisting of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, and three destroyers — is in the Arabian Sea. There are also three American destroyers in the Red Sea and another in the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these warships, and the carrier's dozens of embarked aircraft, are capable of carrying out air defense missions to defeat incoming drones and missiles. IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel's strikes "significantly harmed" Iran's main uranium enrichment site at Natanz. "For many years, the people of the Iranian regime made an effort to obtain nuclear arms in this facility," he said, adding that the site "has the necessary infrastructure to enrich uranium to a military grade." The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed the site was struck, but the extent of the damage remains unverified. Satellite imagery appeared to show significant damage at the surface level. There was also a report Friday that Israel had struck Fordow, a nuclear fuel enrichment site guarded deep under a mountain. The IDF said that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Hossein Salami and other senior military commanders were also killed in targeted strikes. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
5 key questions on Israel's strikes, Iran's response, and the risk of a wider war
Israel targeted nuclear and military sites in Iran in airstrikes early Friday morning. The strikes are a major escalation that threatens to expand into a wider regional conflict. These are five key questions in the wake of Israel's air war. Israel's widespread airstrikes on Iran effectively damaged the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which officials said was a primary goal. The strikes hit over 100 targets, including Iran's air defense systems, missile launchers, and senior military leadership. Now, all eyes are on Tehran's response and the specter of a wider conflict. And there are questions over whether the US will get pulled into the fight. Here are some main questions stemming from the attacks. How has Iran responded? Iran initially responded to the attack by firing 100 drones at Israel on Friday, which the Israel Defense Forces said were mostly intercepted. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "should anticipate a severe punishment" in response to the strikes, and that Iran "won't let them go unpunished." Hours later, the IDF said Iran had launched "dozens" of missiles at Israel in what appeared to be several waves. The military said its air defenses were actively intercepting threats, and video footage captured several impacts. "The Iranian response might be delayed or split into multiple phases," said Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. "But their main weapon will be ballistic missiles," he added, "which have the best chance of inflicting damage on Israel, whereas drone and cruise missile attacks will face more extensive Israeli defences." It is not unprecedented for Iran to launch powerful weapons at Israel; Tehran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at its foe in April and October last year. However, those strikes were mostly intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the US. Beyond direct strikes, another way that Iran could retaliate is through the so-called "Axis of Resistance," a vast network of militias it is aligned with throughout the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Israel has been battling these forces, and Hamas in Gaza, since the October 7, 2023, attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long advocated for destroying Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes. The US, however, has been trying to reach a new deal with Iran (and has threatened violence if a deal isn't done). The strikes could derail those efforts and even goad Iran into racing to build a nuclear arsenal. Could this trigger a wider conflict? Israel's strikes threaten to spark a wider regional conflict, analysts at London's Chatham House think tank warned Friday. "Far from being a preventive action, this strike risks triggering a broader regional escalation and may inadvertently bolster the Islamic Republic's domestic and international legitimacy," Sanam Vakil, Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program director, said. Last year, Tehran reportedly threatened to target Gulf state oil facilities if they allowed Israel access to their airspace for strikes against Iran. It's unclear what routes Israeli aircraft used in the attacks, but there's been speculation Israel could exploit the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria to get its aircraft directly over Iraq for strikes. Russia is also a close ally of Iran, and the two have increased their defense cooperation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, Nikita Smagin, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment, said in December that the Kremlin is unlikely to come to Iran's direct aid in order to avoid direct confrontations with Israel and the US. Will the US be pulled into a fight? The US has helped arm and defend Israel, notably in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks. The world will be watching to see how President Donald Trump responds. Trump has sought to broker a new nuclear deal with Iran, and in the wake of the Israeli attacks overnight, warned of "even more brutal" strikes from Israel if Iran refuses a new agreement. Last year, the US Navy helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel in two major attacks, and it has rotated multiple aircraft carriers and many warships into the region since 2023, in a show of support for Israel and to deter its enemies, including Iran. The US and other NATO countries have also defended international shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. What forces does the US have in the region? The US has a substantial military presence in the Middle East, including naval forces, ground troops, and strike aircraft. A Navy spokesperson told BI that the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group — consisting of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, and three destroyers — is in the Arabian Sea. There are also three American destroyers in the Red Sea and another in the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these warships, and the carrier's dozens of embarked aircraft, are capable of carrying out air defense missions to defeat incoming drones and missiles. Were the strikes effective? IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel's strikes "significantly harmed" Iran's main uranium enrichment site at Natanz. "For many years, the people of the Iranian regime made an effort to obtain nuclear arms in this facility," he said, adding that the site "has the necessary infrastructure to enrich uranium to a military grade." The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed the site was struck, but the extent of the damage remains unverified. Satellite imagery appeared to show significant damage at the surface level. There was also a report Friday that Israel had struck Fordow, a nuclear fuel enrichment site guarded deep under a mountain. Overnight, Israeli strikes reportedly targeted strategic Iranian sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility, Iran's primary center for uranium enrichment. High-resolution imagery from @AirbusDefence, captured on June 13, 2025, reveals significant damage to the facility. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 13, 2025 The IDF said that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Hossein Salami and other senior military commanders were also killed in targeted strikes.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mossad agents in secret mission to blow up Iranian missiles
Mossad agents snuck into Iran and set up a factory to build explosive drones that were used to cripple Tehran's air defences ahead of Friday's strikes, intelligence officials said. The drones were activated and used to attack missile launchers pointed at Israel as the IDF launched its overnight raid aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear programme. The operation, which would have been years in the making, has the hallmarks of the Mossad intelligence agency, which is famed for its clandestine activities. It would have involved Israeli intelligence agents sneaking into Iran to build the base well in advance of Friday's attack, pre-empting Iran's probable retaliation. Vehicles carrying weapons systems were also smuggled into Iran, a security official told The Times of Israel. By destroying Iran's air defences, the explosive drones gave Israeli planes supremacy in the skies and freedom to carry out Friday's air strikes that killed several top generals while hitting about 100 targets including nuclear facilities. Credit: Mossad via Sent Defender / X Pre-deployed Mossad commando units were indeed working inside Iran, said the British-Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM). Mossad units 'were involved in launching precision-guided munitions that targeted Iranian surface-to-air missiles, other air defences, as well as ground-to-ground missiles that would have been used in a retaliatory strike against Israel', BICOM said. Footage emerged purporting to show exactly those activities – Israeli agents setting guided missile launchers that were then used to take out Iran's air defences. The operatives also launched surface-to-surface missiles and explosive drones at targets near Tehran, including a truck carrying missiles, the footage suggests. The black-and-white footage shows armed figures with their faces pixelated, crouching in an area of open ground. Israeli intelligence officials have said publication of the material was designed to illustrate the breadth and depth of Israel's clandestine capabilities and to discourage escalation. If what Israeli authorities are claiming is indeed true, it is a stunning demonstration of strategic capabilities in what amounted to a multi-pronged attack combining surveillance, intelligence and firepower. It also shows how far Israel is willing to go in confronting Tehran and its potential nuclear threat. 'Emerging reports about more unconventional activity by Mossad are a reminder of Israel's expertise in covert operations, its penetration of the Iranian security establishment and its agility in planning ahead with imaginative operations which can be executed at short notice,' said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute. Setting up such key secret attack infrastructure within the territory of Iran, Israel's number one rival, would probably have involved multiple undercover missions. Credit: Reuters It would also have required targeted intelligence of where exactly Iran's own military and weapons infrastructure was located, allowing the accurate placement of various weapons systems to hit those strategic targets. The attack has killed at least three of Iran's most powerful men – including its most senior military leadership – further crippling the Islamic Republic's ability. It has not only suffered a blow to its missile capabilities but it has now also lost significant architects that would have designed and executed a response. 'The breadth and scale of these strikes…suggest this operation is intended to not just dissuade Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, but also cripple any potential military response and even to destabilise the regime,' said Mr Savill. Mossad has a history of carrying out bold operations on enemy soil, especially in Iran. In 2020 it helped the US to assassinate Major General Qassim Suleimani, who was Iran's top security and intelligence commander. In 2022, two assassins on motorcycles gunned down Col Sayyad Khodaei, an IRGC officer, and in 2024 Israel killed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's political leader, in Tehran by planting an explosive inside an IRGC guest house. Israel also dismantled the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful proxy in the region, in a series of strikes in 2024. This included elaborate, coordinated attacks that saw thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the group detonate, killing dozens and injuring thousands. Mossad had infiltrated the supply line and planted explosives inside the devices 10 years before they were detonated. With its latest strikes, Israel is signalling that far more is to come.'We are a few hours into the operation…. this is something that, when we spoke about it six months ago, seemed like fantasy,' said Maj Gen Oded Basiuk, Israel's head of operations directorate.'Thus achievement is the result of planning, drills and thorough work by those sitting here, and also by those who aren't.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Expert: Israel's attacks were designed to weaken Iranian military
Israel's attacks on Iran were designed to undermine the Islamic republic's military capabilities and stability, not just prevent its nuclear programme, according to military expert Matthew Savill. "This operation is intended to not just dissuade Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, but also cripple any potential military response and even to destabilise the regime," said Savill, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in London, in a statement on Friday. Israel has the capability to carry out several such waves of attacks, he said. However, he said the considerable distance involved could pose a challenge even for the Israeli air force over a longer period of time. Iran's response to the strikes could be delayed or take place in several phases, Savill said. He warned that the use of ballistic missiles is likely, as drones and cruise missiles are easier for Israeli air defences to intercept. Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, military commanders and top scientists in waves of airstrikes beginning early Friday morning. Hours later, Iranian media reported that Israel had carried out a new wave of attacks on Iranian territory including on the cities of Tabriz and Shiraz and again at the Natanz nuclear site. Iran has vowed to respond, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening Israel with "severe punishment."
