Record increases in European defence spending must be turned into combat-ready forces at speed, NATO’s Mark Rutte says, warning that “you cannot stop a missile or a tank with a dollar or a euro” as the alliance prepares for Ankara.

The post Cash alone won’t stop a tank, NATO chief warns first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

Russia is now spending close to half its entire state budget on defence, NATO’s Mark Rutte says, warning the alliance cannot be naive even as he insists Russia knows it could not win a war against NATO.

The post Russia pouring half its budget into war, Rutte says first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

The government says it is accelerating the development and deployment of directed energy weapons to counter low-cost drones.

The post UK to speed up laser weapons against cheap drones first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

Ukraine regained more territory than it ceded last month, a senior NATO military official has said.

The post Ukraine regained more land than it lost last month first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

Ukraine’s expanding front-line kill zone now puts targets beyond the reach of its short-range artillery, leaving it dependent on costlier extended-range ammo.

The post Spreading kill zone is starving Ukraine artillery push first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

The US Secretary of War Pete told NATO that some allies must still do more as he and Mark Rutte hailed the arrival of a harder-edged “NATO 3.0”.

The post Hegseth presses NATO allies as US ramps up spending first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

The Ministry of Defence has disclosed that 23 firearms were recorded as lost or stolen over five years, including two general purpose machine guns and an SA80 rifle, though more than half were deactivated, airsoft or cadet weapons unable to fire live rounds.

The post Machine guns among the military’s missing firearms first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

The United States has pledged fewer guaranteed forces to NATO’s force model and asked European allies and Canada to take up the slack, in a shift a senior NATO official has insisted can be managed without leaving a significant gap.

The post Europe to backfill as US trims NATO force pledges first appeared on UK Defence Journal.

Asked by the UK Defence Journal whether Britain’s repeatedly delayed Defence Investment Plan is frustrating the alliance, a senior NATO official said what matters is not money but capability delivered on a clear path, with Russia potentially reconstituting.

The post NATO plays down UK plan delay but presses capability first appeared on UK Defence Journal.