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 fresh scrutiny of Army equipment and logistics, a huge naval homecoming for the UK Carrier Strike Group, a major submarine hunting pact with Norway, the conclusion of a landmark RAF deployment and new steps in support for service families and veterans. Here is your full UK Armed Forces briefing.

British Army: Ajax Future in Doubt and Logistics Fleet Grounded

It has been another difficult week for the British Army’s equipment programme and logistics chain, with serious questions now being asked at the highest levels of government.

Following last week’s halt to training on the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle after soldiers fell ill from noise and vibration, reports now suggest that the government is actively considering scrapping the entire five billion pound Ajax fleet. Senior ministers have stated that the Army could operate without Ajax if necessary and that no decision will be taken until ongoing safety investigations are complete. The vehicle was supposed to be the centrepiece of the Army’s future reconnaissance capability, so talk of cancellation represents a major blow to modernisation plans and a potential headache for the Strategic Defence Review.

In a separate blow to readiness, the Army has suspended its entire fleet of around six thousand MAN support lorries after faults were found with bolts on their prop shafts. These trucks are the workhorses that move fuel, ammunition and supplies for the Army. Their grounding forced the cancellation of a major exercise, Titan Storm, and has raised further concerns about the resilience of Army logistics. While some vehicles can operate under strict conditions, the pause has highlighted the impact of ageing fleets and years of underinvestment in enabling capabilities.

There were, however, more positive stories from the field. Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, passed its “fit for role” inspection, confirming that this high profile public duties and light infantry unit is ready for operations. Training photos released this week showed soldiers taking part in demanding fitness, live firing and field exercises, underlining that at the unit level the Army continues to maintain high standards of professionalism despite wider equipment challenges.

For readers interested in British Army news, the overall picture this week is of a land force trying to balance ambitious modernisation with the realities of ageing vehicles, safety concerns and the need to keep front line units trained and ready.

Royal Navy: Carrier Strike Homecoming and UK–Norway Submarine Pact

For the Royal Navy, the week was dominated by a highly anticipated homecoming and a major announcement on undersea security.

The UK Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, completed its eight month global deployment and returned to the United Kingdom. Families lined sea walls and jetties in Portsmouth and other ports to welcome sailors, soldiers and aviators home after a mission that took them from the High North and North Atlantic to the Mediterranean, Arabian Sea and Indo Pacific. Over the course of the deployment, the task group conducted more than two thousand five hundred aircraft sorties, exercised with partners including the United States, Japan, Australia and India, and demonstrated that the UK can still field a credible, modern carrier strike capability.

One notable detail was that HMS Prince of Wales arrived back a day earlier than originally planned in order to avoid severe weather, prompting the Navy to open the base specially on a Sunday so that families could be there in person. That decision, driven by pressure from both media and public, highlighted how central family support is to sustaining long deployments at sea.

Looking to the future, the United Kingdom and Norway also announced a new submarine hunting and undersea infrastructure protection pact. Under this agreement, at least thirteen British and Norwegian warships will work as a combined force in the North Atlantic and Arctic to protect critical undersea cables and track an increased tempo of Russian submarine activity. The deal builds on Norway’s purchase of British built Type 26 anti submarine frigates and includes closer cooperation on strike missiles and uncrewed mine hunting systems.

This arrangement effectively creates a joint British–Norwegian anti submarine screen on NATO’s northern flank and is being described as one of the most significant maritime defence partnerships in recent decades. For Royal Navy watchers, it underlines that the service’s future will be as much about securing the deep ocean and seabed as it is about traditional surface warfare.

Royal Marines: Arctic Partnership and Carrier Lessons

The Royal Marines are set to be major beneficiaries of the closer partnership with Norway and of the experience gained during the Carrier Strike Group deployment.

As part of the new UK–Norway pact, the two countries have committed to expanded Arctic warfare training and joint commando exercises. Royal Marines, who already train regularly in northern Norway, will work even more closely with Norwegian troops to refine cold weather and mountain warfare skills, amphibious landings in icy fjords and operations in extreme conditions. This will be vital in any future conflict in the High North where mobility, survival skills and knowledge of the environment can be decisive.

In addition, lessons from months embarked with HMS Prince of Wales and her escorts will feed into the evolving Future Commando Force concept. Marines involved in boarding operations, force protection and littoral strike rehearsals during the deployment are now helping to develop new tactics for operating alongside carrier air power, uncrewed surface and underwater systems and long range naval fires. The emphasis is on small, agile commando teams that can deploy quickly, gather intelligence, strike key targets and then disperse before an enemy can respond.

For those following Royal Marines news, this week consolidates their role as a specialist expeditionary force at the heart of the United Kingdom’s plans for Arctic security and carrier enabled power projection.

Royal Air Force: Operation Highmast Concludes and Global Reach Demonstrated

The Royal Air Force marked the end of a significant chapter this week with the conclusion of Operation Highmast, an eight month global deployment that ran in parallel with the carrier strike mission.

Under Operation Highmast, RAF aircraft and personnel delivered air and space power across multiple theatres, from air defence in the Mediterranean and logistics in the Middle East to long range patrols and exercises in the Indo Pacific. The mission showcased the RAF’s ability to reposition modern aircraft rapidly across large distances, sustain operations far from home and integrate seamlessly with allies and other services, including the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group.

The end of the deployment does not mean a pause in activity. RAF crews are now transitioning back into standing tasks, including NATO air policing, quick reaction alert duties over the UK, and ongoing surveillance of Russia’s air and maritime approaches. Recent updates to the operational low flying timetable also confirm that fast jet and helicopter crews will continue to conduct essential low level training in designated areas of the country in early December.

For aviation enthusiasts and those interested in RAF news, the story this week is one of proven global reach and the challenge of turning deployment experience into lasting improvements in tactics, maintenance and personnel resilience.

Veterans’ Affairs: Housing Strategy, Families First and Covenant Employers

In veterans’ affairs and family support, the week brought a mix of policy detail and practical guidance.

The Ministry of Defence continued to promote its recently published Defence Housing Strategy 2025, which sets out how service accommodation will be modernised over the coming decade. The strategy focuses on improving maintenance, addressing long standing issues such as damp and mould, and giving families clearer routes to complain and seek redress when standards are not met. It also aims to make better use of data so that problems in Service Family Accommodation can be spotted and fixed earlier.

Linked to this, Defence Homes released the latest Families First newsletter, dated 28 November 2025. This newsletter signposts families to up to date information on moving in and out of Service Family Accommodation, how to raise complaints, and where to access further support if they are struggling with housing, welfare or local services. While less dramatic than operational news, these communications are vital for helping families navigate the complexities of military life.

On the employment side, more businesses continued to sign the Armed Forces Covenant, formally pledging to support serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families. New signatories include companies in compliance, technology and defence-adjacent sectors, all of whom recognise the value that people with military experience bring to the workplace. For veterans, this means a growing pool of employers who understand the realities of service and are prepared to offer flexible working, guaranteed interviews or other forms of concrete support.

Taken together, these developments show that, alongside equipment and operations, the Ministry of Defence is under pressure to deliver better outcomes for the people and families who make the UK Armed Forces possible.

Strategic Summary

The period from 28 November to 5 December 2025 reinforces several recurring themes in UK defence.

The British Army is dealing with uncomfortable realities around equipment safety and ageing logistics fleets, even as it continues to field highly capable units such as Balaklava Company and to invest in new training and capabilities. The Royal Navy, flush from a successful carrier strike deployment, is leaning into a future defined by undersea security, Arctic partnerships and hybrid fleets of crewed and uncrewed vessels. The Royal Marines are firmly embedded in that future, particularly in the High North and in carrier enabled littoral operations.

The Royal Air Force, having concluded Operation Highmast, has demonstrated once again that it can project power globally and sustain joint missions alongside the Navy and international partners. At the same time, veterans’ affairs and family support remain central to the long term health of the Armed Forces, with housing strategies, newsletters and Covenant employers all playing their part.

For readers and customers interested in UK Armed Forces news, the big ideas this week are readiness, resilience, alliances and people. The kit and deployments make the headlines, but it is the long term investment in infrastructure, training and family support that will decide how effective the UK Armed Forces really are in the years ahead.

Keep Following Our Weekly Updates

That concludes this week’s UK Armed Forces Weekly News Roundup. From Ajax and logistics fleet troubles, to carrier strike homecomings, submarine hunting pacts, global RAF deployments and new support for service families, it has been an important week for Britain’s Armed Forces.

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