All articles by Richard Thomas

Richard Thomas

Richard is editor-in-chief for defence and transport at GlobalData. He has worked the UK defence beat since 2014, and previously the defence and diplomatic beats in Muscat, Oman, from 2008-2013.

Can the UK defend the Falkland Islands?

UK defence relies on RAF Mount Pleasant and a small tri-service garrison Argentina is upgrading forces across the domains, increasing…
Ford to compete for UK Light Mobility Vehicle

Ford, GDLS and Ricardo bid Ford Ranger for the Army’s LMV replacement programme GDLS would lead conversion in South Wales;…
Forecasts: Finland defence market data (2026-2035)

Finland’s defence spend is forecast to rise to nearly $12bn, driven by Russia tensions and Nato accession Growth expected across air,…
Ukraine’s TrophyLab a hit as hundreds of arms firms seek access

TrophyLab draws 130+ Ukrainian and 300+ foreign arms-firm applications Vetted users get detailed data on captured Russian weapons and can…
Forecasts: Spain defence market data (2026-2035)

Spain’s defence spend is forecast to reach $65.8bn by 2031 (9.1% CAGR), driven by procurement and RDT&E PITSD earmarks €10.47bn for modernisation; fixed-wing and land vehicles grow steadily to 2035…

From birds to drones: a non-traditional approach to counter-UAS

Ukraine/Middle East are driving urgent demand for small-drone detection radar Classification in clutter (not just detection) is the hard part—software…
Forecasts: Poland defence market data (2026-2035)

Poland’s defence spend is forecast to more than double, reaching $353.8bn in 2026–31 (vs $173.7bn in 2022–26) Big-ticket buys span…
Forecasts: Türkiye defence market data (2026-2035)

Türkiye’s defence spend is forecast to hit $73.7bn by 2031 (CAGR 8.9%) Acquisition totals $11.7bn in 2026, rising from 18% to 19% of the budget by 2031…
Nightclubs, novelty shops, and resorts among costs revealed by MoD

MoD spent £9.7m on ePCs in July 2026 (£3.1m virtual; £6.5m physical) Spend included hotels/resorts, bars/nightclubs, gift/novelty shops, and flights…
Human-guided autonomy: readiness payoff militaries can bank today

Drones are now consumables—scale beats scarcity Readiness is software, training, comms and supply chain—not just airframes Procurement must enable open,…