The first aircraft carrier designed in China has left Dalian Shipbuilding Industry's shipyard in Liaoning to start sea trials. The trial aims to demonstrate the reliability and capability of the ship's propulsion systems, according to the People's Liberation Army Navy. Construction of the vessel began in November 2013.  

Construction is underway on the US Navy's first Flight III cestroyer, Jack Lucas, which is set to join the fleet in 2024. Huntington Ingalls is building the ship, which incorporates Raytheon’s AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar which will boost its anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence capabilities.

The UK will build its own satellite navigation system if British companies are excluded from the EU’s Galileo programme after Brexit, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said. The UK will not be excluded from using Galileo if relevant agreements are made, but as a third-party state it will not be allowed to participate in the system’s development, said the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Development of a rival British satellite navigation system could cost £3bn according to industry experts. 

The West can no longer rely on the strategic advance of its superior defence technology, as China and Russia are rapidly catching up in terms of capability and innovation, leading defence experts have said. In its Military Balance 2018 report, the International Institute of Strategic Studies warns that the Washington, Moscow and Beijing are systematically preparing for potential conflicts, and defence innovation in China and Russia has evolved to challenge the military supremacy of America and its allies and the West. 

The UK’s military could face a £21bn funding shortfall over the next decade, according to parliament’s public accounts committee. The spending watchdog said the MoD “simply does not have enough money to buy all the equipment it says it needs”. The report also warned that the majority of funds being tied to long-term projects means the MoD doesn’t have enough flexibility to spend on countering emerging threats in the cyber domain.