On May 4, the CSIS Missile Defense Project was pleased to host an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. The anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on the war's history and lessons for maritime strategy, as well as the evolving capability of anti-ship cruise missiles.
On December 10, the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) deployed its Eurofighter Typhoon with the new Meteor air-to-air missile from RAF Lossiemouth in a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission to defend U.K. airspace. U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said that the Meteor missile “demonstrates the next chapter of the Typhoon, which will see the jet...
On July 10, two Defense Security Cooperation Agency news releases announced U.S. State Department approval for AMRAAM sales to the United Kingdom and Denmark, stating, “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Denmark of twenty-eight (28) AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for an estimated cost...
On April 18, MBDA successfully conducted its second development test fire of its Sea Venom/ANL missile. The missile was tested from a Panther test helicopter at Ile Du Levant in southeast France. The Sea Venom/ANL is a joint venture by French and British navies designed for use against smaller, lighter ships such as fast attack vessels and corvettes....
On May 28, the United Kingdom successfully tested MBDA’s Land Ceptor surface-to-air missile defense system (SAM) from a mobile launcher against targets in Sweden. According to the British Government, “The trial, which followed previous munitions tests, was the first time Land Ceptor had been test-fired as a whole system, including the cutting-edge SAAB Giraffe radar.”...
On April 13, the United States, United Kingdom, and France launched a joint strike of 105 missiles on Syrian chemical weapons storage and research facilities. The operation came in response to an alleged poison gas attack by the Syrian government on the rebel-held area of Douma. The joint strike, which lasted two minutes, took nearly...
On March 28, U.K. prime minister Theresa May announced a £600 million ($843.4 million) increase in the Ministry of Defence’s budget for 2018-2019 to fund Britain’s next generation of nuclear submarines. The United Kingdom’s Dreadnought submarine program carries Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which serve as its sole nuclear deterrent. “Today’s announcement will ensure that...
On March 27, the European defense firm MBDA announced it had secured a $568 million capability sustainment program with the United Kingdom government for its Brimstone 2 air-to-surface missile. The deal will have MBDA extend the service life of the country’s Brimstone missiles; enhance the current inventory with new software and other updates; and develop,...
The British Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that the Royal Navy has successfully completed the first firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor missile defense system, enabling it to progress to the next stage of acceptance into navy service. The Sea Ceptor missiles were launched on Scotland’s Hebrides Rocket Range from the Type 23...
On October 6, vessels from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom participating in the inaugural Formidable Shield 2017 (FS17) exercise tested the ships’ ballistic and cruise missile defense capabilities. Designed to improve NATO allied interoperability in an integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) environment, FS17 tested participants’...
