2008 United Kingdom Special Weapons News

Cost-cutting plans set to delay UK's super aircraft carriers IRNA 05 Dec 2008-- Britain's Royal Navy will have to wait up to two years longer for its controversial Pnds 4 billion (Dlrs 6 bn) aircraft carriers under cost-cutting plans being finalized by John Hutton, defence secretary, it was reported Friday
Thales`s WATCHKEEPER successfully passes first system flight trial Thales 24 Nov 2008 -- These trials of the UAV, which operates with dual payloads, will continue into 2009, and will validate the key mission system capability of the WATCHKEEPER system.
UK denies developing new nuclear warheads IRNA 04 Nov 2008 -- The British government has denied that it has already started to develop a new generation of nuclear warheads despite trebling the capital spending at the country's Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) since 2006
UK troops to get new hi-tech body armour IRNA 03 Nov 2008 -- Britain's Ministry of Defence carried out development work following criticism over lack of protection given to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
British Special Forces Chief in Afghanistan Resigns in Protest VOA 01 Nov 2008 -- Head of Britain's special forces in Afghanistan resigned to protest equipment failures he believes led to the death of 4 of his troops.
UK cancels 15 military exercises to save money IRNA 29 Oct 2008 -- Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth: Britain has been forced to cancel almost 10 percent of its military exercises this year
UK toughens rules on exclusions IRNA 28 Oct 2008 -- Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced new measures to prevent individuals who 'foster extremism or hate' entering the UK.
New fingerprint scanners add to UK surveillance IRNA 27 Oct 2008 -- Every police force in the UK to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners.
UK court criticizes US refusal to disclose torture evidence IRNA 24 Oct 2008 -- High Court judges have criticized refusal by the US to disclose evidence that could prove British resident was tortured.
British Defense Secretary Visits Troops, Meets Afghan Leaders VOA 22 Oct 2008 -- Britain's defense secretary met in Kabul with President Karzai and members of Afghanistan's Cabinet.
Britain's airforce criticized over deaths of servicemen in Iraq IRNA 22 Oct 2008 -- An inquest into deaths of 10 British servicemen killed in Iraq when their aircraft was shot down condemned behaviour of country's air force.
UK extends non-proliferation inquiry to include conventional weapons IRNA 21 Oct 2008 -- The Foreign Affairs Committee announced amending the terms of reference in its inquiry into the British government's non-proliferation strategy to include conventional weapons.
Thales's WATCHKEEPER programme successfully passes flight trials for automatic take-off and landing Thales 12 Aug 2008 -- This trial is one of a comprehensive set of trials taking place over the next year and follows on from the first successful flight trials of the WATCHKEEPER unmanned air vehicle (UAV) in April 2008.
UK to replace nuclear warheads, secret documents reveal IRNA 25 Jul 2008 -- The British government is planning to replace the country's nuclear warheads despite ministers claiming that no decision has yet been made, according to secret Ministry of Defence documents obtained by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
UK armed forces less ready for war than ever, report shows IRNA 22 Jul 2008 -- Britain's armed forces are less ready to deploy troops to the front line to fight a war than at any time on record, according to the latest annual report from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Thales's TUAV ISTAR programmes support current & future UK operations Thales 15 Jul 2008 -- WATCHKEEPER will provide real-time imagery and situational awareness enabling commanders on the ground to gain a detailed picture of the battlespace and to make timely decisions accordingly.
UK nuclear clean-up costs up a third to Pnds 73 billion IRNA 10 Jul 2008 -- The cost of cleaning up Britain's old nuclear power stations has risen by almost a third in the past five years and could be set to increase further, MPs warned Thursday.
UK cost of Iraq, Afghan wars approaching Pnds 12 bn IRNA 09 Jul 2008 -- The net additional cost for the UK wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is set to reach almost Pnds 12 billion (Dlrs 24 bn) by the end of the current financial year, according to the latest figures released by Defence Secretary Des Browne.
Thales UK welcomes contract signature for new aircraft carriers Thales 03 Jul 2008 -- Defence Secretary Des Browne said in a Written Ministerial Statement: "This is a historic day for everyone in defence. The two aircraft carriers will provide our forces with the world-class capabilities they will need over the coming decades. They will support peace-keeping and conflict prevention, as well as our strategic operational priorities.
UK opposing start of nuclear disarmament talks, says CND IRNA 01 Jul 2008 -- The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) Tuesday called for support to press the UK government to start talks to get rid of the country's stockpile of nuclear weapons as required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
UK's nukes may go off accidentally due to design fault, MoD admits IRNA 26 Jun 2008 -- More than 1,700 British nuclear warheads have design flaws that could conceivably cause multiple explosions one after another, according to a recently declassified Ministry of Defence (MoD) safety manual.
UK buying 86 armoured patrol vehicles for Afghanistan IRNA 26 Jun 2008 -- A new fleet of 86 armoured patrol vehicles is being bought for British troops deployed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced Thursday.
Russia may help Britain scrap nuclear submarines RIA Novosti 16 Jun 2008 -- Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard in the town of Severodvinsk on the Barents Sea could scrap Britain's decommissioned nuclear submarines, a company official said on Monday.
UK increases spending on nuclear weapons IRNA 04 Jun 2008 -- The annual expenditure for capital and running costs of Britain's nuclear weapons has escalated by in real terms by more than 20 percent in the past two years, according to the latest official figures.
Funds freed to help UK's defence budget IRNA 16 May 2008 -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported Friday to have agreed to let the Ministry of Defence (MoD) free up funds to provide life-saving kit for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and give the go-ahead for two new super aircraft carriers.
WATCHKEEPER UAV undertakes maiden flight Thales 06 May 2008 -- Thales UK today announces the successful first flight of the WATCHKEEPER unmanned air vehicle (UAV) platform.
Lockheed Martin Receives $15.5-Million Annual Support Contract For The U.K.'S Trident Missile Program Lockheed Martin 15 Apr 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a one-year, $15.5-million contract for continued program management and engineering services for the United Kingdom's Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program.
UK ground forces to get advanced air warning system IRNA 02 Apr 2008 -- British ground commanders are to get a new system that will tell them what is happening in the air, help reduce friendly fire incidents and improve ability to counter air attacks, the Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday.
EADS-led AirTanker consortium signs 27 year air refuelling contract with the U.K. Ministry of Defence EADS 27 Mar 2008 -- AirTanker, the EADS-led consortium, has today signed a 27 year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence for the provision of air transport and air refuelling capability to the Royal Air Force
Thales wins UK target locator system competition Thales 15 Feb 2008 -- Defence Secretary Des Browne has today announced that Thales UK has been awarded a £30m contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply the latest version of its Joint-Target Acquisition System (J-TAS) to meet the MoD's Surveillance System and Range Finding (SSARF) requirement. He made the announcement during a visit to the company's Glasgow facility, where the equipment will be built.
Thales expands British Army UK fleet Thales 12 Feb 2008 -- The BGTI system has already been installed on almost 600 Warrior and Scimitar vehicles and gives troops the ability to see, locate and engage targets during the day and night and at far longer ranges than ever before. Currently, 146 Scimitars are fitted with BGTI.
Nuclear decommissioning costs in UK rise to Dlrs 145 bn IRNA 30 Jan 2008 -- The estimated cost of decommissioning the UK's 19 ageing nuclear power plants had risen to Pnds 73 billion (Dlrs 145 bn), almost a third higher than five years ago, a parliamentary watchdog has warned.
UK to compensate victims of secret chemical weapons tests IRNA 17 Jan 2008 -- Britain's Ministry of Defence is to offer compensation and an apology to the victims of secret chemical weapons testing carried out at Porton Down military research centre in western England over 40 years ago, it was reported Thursday.
UK to build up to 10 new nuclear plants by 2020 IRNA 11 Jan 2008 -- Up to 10 nuclear power stations could be built in Britain by 2020 under government plans to replace the country's ageing reactors.
UK nuclear programme to remain in doubt for months - Greenpeace IRNA 05 Jan 2008 -- The British government's controversial plans to build 20 new nuclear reactors is likely to remain in doubt for months with a fresh legal challenge having over the decision, which is expected to be announced next week.
UK nuclear weapons engineers threaten industrial action IRNA 04 Jan 2008 -- Britain is facing the likelihood of the first industrial action ever taken by nearly 7,000 scientists, engineers and production workers who build the country's Trident nuclear warheads, it was reported Friday.

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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

2008 United Kingdom Special Weapons News