UK flagship HMS Prince of Wales sails to prepare for her next mission
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Pictured: The Challenger 2 test firing its 120mm rifled gun (L30A1). The Challenger 2 is a main battle tank, designed to destroy other tanks. It has been used by the British Army on operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq, and has never experienced a loss at the hands of the enemy. Built in the UK by Vickers Defence Systems, now BAE Systems and Land Armaments, it was designed as a replacement to the Challenger 1 tank in 1986 and has been in service with the British Army since July 1994. Challenger 2 is used by four armoured regiments, based in the South West of England at Tidworth, Wiltshire, and Bovington, Dorset. The regiments are called The Queen’s Royal Hussars, The King’s Royal Hussars, The Royal Tank Regiment, and The Royal Wessex Yeomanry which is the reserve regiment. Each regiment operates 56 Challenger 2 tanks and a similar number of supporting vehicles in tasks such as reconnaissance and ammunition supply.
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Image shows: Flight deck of Voyager during Eastern Sentry refuel sortie, on the 2nd of October 2025. On October 2nd 2025, 10 Squadron Royal Air Force Voyager ZZ343 from RAF Brize Norton deployed in support of 2 Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4’s (Chaos 1 and Chaos 2) from 3 Squadron at RAF Coningsby to provide air to air refuelling on EASTERN SENTRY. EASTERN SENTRY is a NATO operation to protect territory along NATO’s eastern flank in response to a Russian drone incursion into Poland. British Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4’s fly air defence missions over Poland.
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Independent Analysis Across Defence, Aerospace & Strategic Systems

North West Strategic is an independent publication focused on defence, aerospace and advanced technology, delivering analysis and industry insights across the United Kingdom’s evolving strategic and security landscape.

Covering aerospace innovation, autonomous systems, strategic capability and emerging defence technology, the platform explores the systems and industries shaping modern security environments.

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Pictured: XV Patrick Blackett at anchor in Portugal during Exercise REPMUS24. A range of drones and uncrewed vessels were deployed on a major international exercise in Portugal as the Royal Navy looks to push its latest technology to its limits. Autonomous Pacific 24 ribs, hand-launched drones, mini quadcopters and surveillance drones will join specially designed shipping containers and experimentation vessel XV Patrick Blackett for NATO’s annual uncrewed wargames. UK personnel joined with those from 26 other nations for the exercise, known as REPMUS, in Troia, southern Portugal, which focusses on uncrewed systems and looks to take kit and equipment from test phases to integration into operations and task groups. XV Patrick Blackett acted act as a test bed for elements of the trials and testing and embarked a range of technologies – building on its successes during last year’s exercise. The Royal Navy has also been testing uncrewed aerial vehicle Peregrine; surveillance drones Puma and Ebee Vision; uncrewed aerial systems Rotron and a remote-piloted seaboat. The Navy’s Office for Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) also sent NavyPODS – specially-designed shipping containers – which will act as operations rooms, extra storage space for the drones and as command centres. For the first time, this year’s annual exercise will also contribute to progress under AUKUS, the UK’s flagship defence and security partnership with Australia and the US. XV Patrick Blackett (X01) is an experimental ship used by the Royal Navy as a testbed for new technologies, including unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned surface vehicles and quantum navigation.
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