UK Armed Forces Weekly News Roundup (14–21 November 2025)

Welcome to this week’s British military news update, covering the latest developments across the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and veterans’ affairs. Over the past seven days we have seen major announcements on munitions production, fresh warnings about Russian activity at sea, new surveillance technology for the Army and important changes in how veterans will be supported at home. Here is your full UK Armed Forces briefing.

British Army: New Surveillance Radars, AI Trials and Housing Concerns

The British Army’s modernisation agenda moved forward this week with the arrival of new ground surveillance technology and continued experimentation with artificial intelligence and uncrewed systems.

Elbit Systems UK confirmed delivery of the first batch of Ground Based Surveillance Radar systems to the Royal Artillery, following successful live fire trials earlier in the year. The new radars will improve the Army’s ability to detect and track targets at longer ranges, feeding more accurate data into artillery fire missions and battlefield situational awareness.

In parallel, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) continued work in Latvia, where Scottish based soldiers are testing the Army’s latest uncrewed systems and AI enabled tools as part of wider modernisation trials. These exercises are designed to understand how small drones, autonomous sensors and decision support software can be integrated into front line infantry operations.

However, the Army also faced awkward questions about equipment sourcing and living conditions. Reports highlighted that soldiers have been using Chinese made 3D printers to manufacture weapon components and training aids, prompting concerns from security experts about dependence on Chinese technology within sensitive defence projects.

At the same time, a separate investigation into accommodation standards revealed that thousands of personnel are still living in cold, damp and mouldy military housing. The government has responded by promising a “generational renewal” programme that will improve more than 40,000 service homes, but many troops and families remain frustrated by the pace of repairs.

For the British Army, the week underlined the tension between rapid innovation on the battlefield and the long term challenge of providing secure, reliable infrastructure at home.

Royal Navy: Carrier Strike Group Ready, Russian Ship Incident and Rules of Engagement

At sea, the Royal Navy focused on both its high end carrier strike capabilities and the growing challenge of Russian activity around critical waters.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the UK Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, has been declared fully mission ready after completing a major NATO controlled workout in the Mediterranean. Operating under Operation Highmast, the carrier and her air wing of F 35B Lightning jets have spent five months deploying across the Indo Pacific and into European waters, demonstrating Britain’s ability to project power and work seamlessly with allies at sea, in the air and ashore.

Defence Secretary John Healey also stated that HMS Prince of Wales is now effectively ready for war and available to allies, and is expected to be placed under NATO command for future high intensity operations, provided the alliance supplies the required escorts, This reinforces the ship’s role as a central asset in the alliance’s deterrence posture.

Closer to home, attention turned to the Russian intelligence gathering vessel Yantar, which has been operating near the edge of British waters north of Scotland. Yantar is known for undersea cable mapping and potential seabed warfare roles. During one monitoring mission, the ship reportedly directed lasers at RAF pilots, an action condemned by the Defence Secretary as “deeply dangerous”. In response, the government has adjusted the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement, allowing British ships to follow the vessel more closely and monitor its activity with greater intensity.

The incident highlights how undersea infrastructure protection, intelligence contests and air safety are now tightly bound together in daily operations for the Royal Navy and its NATO partners.

Royal Marines: Embedded in Carrier Operations and Littoral Future

While there were no headline grabbing standalone announcements about the Royal Marines this week, their importance within the wider force structure remains clear.

Royal Marines detachments continue to operate with Carrier Strike Group 25, providing boarding teams, security detachments and amphibious expertise for missions that may require a rapid shift from open ocean operations to littoral strike tasks. The Marines are key to rehearsals for future littoral response groups that will rely on helicopters, fast craft and uncrewed systems launched from major platforms such as HMS Prince of Wales.

Ongoing concept work, much of it linked to Operation Highmast, is shaping the future Commando Force as a flexible, tech enabled formation that can deploy sensors, small drones and precision fires from dispersed positions along hostile coastlines. This evolution keeps the Royal Marines at the centre of the UK’s expeditionary strategy, acting as a bridge between sea control delivered by the Royal Navy and land operations undertaken by the Army.

Royal Air Force: Confronting Russian Lasers and Leading NATO Training

For the Royal Air Force, the week brought a sharp reminder of the risks that pilots face in routine monitoring missions, alongside continued leadership in multinational training.

During flights to shadow the Russian vessel Yantar, RAF pilots experienced laser illumination from the ship, prompting firm condemnation from London and the warning that “military options” are ready should the vessel pose a further threat. Laser dazzle incidents can temporarily blind aircrew and damage sensitive sensors, and the event is being treated as a serious escalation in Russian behaviour around UK airspace and maritime approaches.

Despite this, the RAF maintained a busy schedule of training and operations with allies. Official reports highlighted that RAF Typhoons are leading NATO allies in key operational training, including complex missions that bring together fourth and fifth generation fighters. Separate exercises are seeing RAF forces work with partners to test fifth generation tactics, data sharing and integrated air defence concepts, underlining the service’s role as a forward deployed, networked air force.

RAF News also reported that French and British helicopter crews have joined forces ahead of a major NATO land exercise with United States troops, improving joint tactics for battlefield lift, close support and casualty evacuation. All of this contributes directly to alliance readiness and interoperability.

Veterans’ Affairs: VALOUR Support Centres and Scam Warning

Veterans’ policy remained in the spotlight this week with further detail on the government’s VALOUR programme and a warning about fraudulent compensation schemes that target the Armed Forces community.

Under the newly launched veterans strategy, ministers confirmed that an initial £27 million in funding is available for local partners to establish VALOUR Recognised Centres across the country. These hubs will form part of an overall £50 million national programme designed to give veterans easier access to joined up support. Each centre is expected to provide help with health and well being, housing advice, employment and skills guidance, and wider welfare and community support, all linked back to a central VALOUR headquarters within the Ministry of Defence.

Local authorities and charities have already begun to respond. Portsmouth City Council, for example, welcomed the announcement and highlighted how new centres and housing funds will complement existing Armed Forces Covenant work at city level.

At the same time, Forces News carried an investigation into online scam adverts that falsely suggest an official link to a Ministry of Defence hearing compensation scheme. These adverts have been using MOD logos and Armed Forces branding without permission, in an apparent attempt to capture personal data from serving personnel and veterans. Veterans’ organisations are urging the community to treat unsolicited compensation offers with caution and to rely on trusted channels when seeking legal or medical support.

Strategic Summary

Taken together, this week’s developments show a UK defence posture that is trying to balance long term resilience with immediate operational challenges.

On land, the British Army is fielding new surveillance radars and experimenting with artificial intelligence, even as it grapples with concerns over Chinese technology and substandard housing. At sea, the Royal Navy is returning from a global carrier deployment with HMS Prince of Wales now fully mission ready under NATO, while also confronting the disruptive activities of a Russian intelligence ship on the edge of national waters. The Royal Marines continue to embed in carrier and littoral concepts that will define future expeditionary warfare.

In the air, the Royal Air Force is at the forefront of NATO training and dealing first hand with the hazards of laser incidents from foreign vessels. Back home, the VALOUR strategy and new veterans support centres show a genuine attempt to reshape care for former service personnel, even as scams and uneven local provision underline the need for constant vigilance.

For readers, the clear themes are modernisation, alliance integration, infrastructure renewal and people support. The UK Armed Forces are investing in new capabilities, facing down evolving threats and trying to ensure that those who serve, and those who have served, receive the backing they deserve.

Keep Following Our Weekly Updates

That concludes this week’s UK Armed Forces Weekly News Roundup. From carrier strike readiness and Russian interference to Army modernisation, RAF training leadership and the expansion of VALOUR support for veterans, it has been a significant seven days for British defence.

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