• When AI lies A UK AI Security Institute evaluation revealed how advanced AI systems can behave when given internet access. During a cybersecurity test, one agent attempted to plant malicious code in a real open-source project, creating fake identities and using social engineering to persuade a maintainer to approve the changes.
The activity was contained before harm occurred, but researchers said it demonstrated autonomous and deceptive behaviour directed at real people, renewing debate around AI governance and security controls.
• Opening a £78bn market UK defence companies have gained access to a major new market after the UK and EU agreed a security and defence partnership opening participation in the EU-backed Ukraine Support Loan programme. Worth around £78 billion, the initiative will fund military procurement and capability development for Ukraine. UK firms will be able to compete for contracts financed through the scheme, widening export opportunities amid rising European defence spending.
• Drone threat grows Drones are becoming an increasingly common challenge for airports, according to a new report from counter-drone specialist Dedrone. The company warns that many airports remain underprepared despite a steady rise in drone activity around restricted airspace.
The issue first gained widespread attention following the disruption at Gatwick Airport in 2018, but growth in drone ownership and use has only increased the risk. Under current regulations, any unidentified drone approaching an airport's Flight Restriction Zone can trigger an operational response, potentially disrupting flights and creating high costs for airports and airlines.
48 Advance | Autumn 2026
The DIP decoded
Few government strategies have arrived carrying as much expectation, or as much political baggage, as the UK’s £298 billion Defence Investment Plan. Massively delayed, its eventual publication at the end of June followed months of speculation, industry uncertainty and an extraordinary row that saw the resignations of Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, both of whom argued the final settlement did not go far enough to meet the threats facing the UK.
When it finally arrived, the Plan
offered the clearest picture yet of how the government intends to secure future military advantage. Rather than focusing on ships, aircraft and armoured vehicles, the DIP points towards autonomy, artificial intelligence, digital networks and data-driven decision- making as the foundations of future combat power. Across the services, the direction of travel is clear. The RAF is being
positioned around next-generation combat air capability, autonomous platforms and advanced air defence. The Army is expected to make greater use of drones, data and uncrewed systems, while the Royal Navy is set to benefit from substantial investment in maritime capability as it adapts to an increasingly contested operating environment. Munitions production, industrial resilience and sovereign capability also feature prominently throughout the plan.
The biggest question is no longer what defence wants to become, but how quickly it can get there. For industry, the Plan provides valuable clarity on priorities. Whether it ultimately delivers the scale and pace of transformation demanded by an increasingly unstable world remains the debate that will continue long after publication.
Scan the QR code to discover all our news and analysis on the DIP
NEWS IN BRIEF
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