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UK Commits £26 Billion to Naval Bases, Including £15.1 Billion for Faslane

Britain will invest approximately £26 billion over the next decade to modernise the Royal Navy’s three main bases, including £15.1 billion for HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, in what the Ministry of Defence calls the largest naval infrastructure programme since the end of the Cold War. Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed the funding on Tuesday during a visit to HMNB Clyde. The government forecasts investment of £7.1 billion at Devonport in Plymouth and £3.9 billion at Portsmouth on the Sole

News Europe

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 15, 2026 — 2 min read

Papua New Guinea Opens Allied Military Drill Days After Australia Defence Pact Takes Effect

Papua New Guinea has formally opened a multinational military exercise with forces from Australia, the United States and New Zealand, days after a new mutual-defence treaty elevated Port Moresby and Canberra to allies committed to integrating their armed forces more closely. Soldiers from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and US Army stood together at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby on 13 July for the opening of Tamiok Strike 26. The exercise, led by the PNGDF and US Army Pacific, runs across

Analysis

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 14, 2026 — 3 min read

How US Missile Deployments Near Taiwan Are Becoming a Fixture in the Philippines

A chain of Philippine islands stretching south from Taiwan is becoming a recurring operating ground for American and allied missile forces, as temporary exercises evolve into longer rotations designed to defend strategic waters from China. The Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment spent roughly three months in the Philippines this year, moving anti-ship launchers and air-defence systems through the country during the Balikatan and KAMANDAG exercises. In the northernmost Batanes and Babuyan

Analysis United States

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 14, 2026 — 4 min read

Germany Funds 50,000 AI-Guided Drones Built to Hunt Through Russian Jamming

Germany is financing 50,000 Ukrainian attack drones equipped with US-designed guidance software built to track moving targets after their connection to a human operator is disrupted, in one of the largest disclosed Western drone orders for Kyiv. The approximately €90 million programme combines Shrike first-person-view drones made by Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall with Auterion Strike kits from US-headquartered defence technology company Auterion, according to Reuters. Deliveries have begun and

News Defence Exports

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 14, 2026 — 3 min read

US Deepens Guam Submarine Support Amid China Missile Threat

The US Navy is building Guam into a more capable submarine hub, able to keep its boats ready closer to potential flashpoints in Asia. The arrival of USS Tucson this month—an outwardly routine exchange of one vessel for another—highlights the supporting network behind that effort. USS Tucson, a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine commissioned in 1995, reached its new home port at Naval Base Guam in July. Navy photographs and captions show the boat arriving on 10 July, although the

Analysis Naval

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 13, 2026 — 3 min read

UK Places First Contracts in European Race for Cheap Drone Defences

Britain has awarded £3.16 million ($4.2 million) to three companies developing low-cost weapons to intercept drones, becoming the first of five European partners to place national contracts under a joint air-defence initiative. The relatively modest awards address one of the most pressing problems exposed by recent conflicts: inexpensive drones can be produced and launched faster than conventional air-defence missiles can be built or replenished. Russia launched an average of 208 Shahed-type d

News Europe

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 13, 2026 — 2 min read

Canada’s TKMS Submarine Bet Comes With Strategic Costs

Canada has chosen a highly capable German submarine and a partnership that fits comfortably within its established NATO role. It has also passed up a rarer opportunity to connect its Arctic defence requirements with its ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on 6 July that TKMS had been selected as the preferred supplier for as many as 12 new submarines, beating South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean in the largest defence procurement Canada has attempted. The German shipbuild

Analysis Defence Exports

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 11, 2026 — 4 min read

Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness: Is the Quad Moving Fast Enough?

The Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance picture is becoming clearer. In May 2026, Australia, India, Japan and the United States launched the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration, or IPMSC. The new Quad initiative will coordinate national surveillance efforts, facilitate real-time information sharing and initially concentrate on the Indian Ocean. The announcement builds upon the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, known as IPMDA. Launched in 2022, IPMDA supplies r

Analysis Naval

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 10, 2026 — 7 min read