This Week in Dual-Use by Sam Burrell

Dec. 10, 2025 - Major developments in dual-use and defence tech.

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UK launches Atlantic Bastion to counter Russia at sea


The UK is unveiling Atlantic Bastion, a new undersea surveillance and anti-submarine system that integrates autonomous vessels, AI-enabled sensor networks, and existing naval assets. Unusually public for a traditionally secretive domain, the program reflects rising concern over Russia’s efforts to target undersea cables and pipelines as part of grey-zone warfare. The initiative signals how underwater defense is shifting toward autonomous, networked systems—though adoption will be slower than in the aerial drone domain.

Russian Shahed-136 drones now armed with air-to-air missiles


Russia is deploying a modified Shahed-136 drone equipped with an R-60 heat-seeking missile, theoretically enabling it to attack Ukrainian aircraft. Though its practical effectiveness is uncertain, the development highlights Russia’s ability to adapt legacy weapons into low-cost “wingman-style” drones, mirroring Western concepts but with cheap, readily available components.

Chinese LandSpace reusable rocket crashes


Chinese private firm LandSpace launched its Zhuque-3 rocket, but its reusable booster failed during landing, crashing in a rare publicly visible setback. The transparency is notable given the system’s strategic relevance—signaling China’s prioritization of rapid iteration and industrial momentum over secrecy. The failure may briefly slow launch cadence and related military ambitions, but likely not for long.

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Samuel Burrell is a Partner at Expeditions, investing in the future of security in Europe.

His weekly newsletter covers developments in dual-use and defence technologies, picking out the changes in the sector, giving them context and analysis.