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Daily UK defence and security brief from Think Defence, Monday 9 November 2026, covering the previous 24 hours. NEWS King Leads Solemn Remembrance Sunday Service at Cenotaph King Charles III led the nation in a two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, before a march-past by 10,000 armed forces veterans, including 12 Second World War veterans. Prime Minister Andy Burnham attended for the first time as the current occupant of No 10, alongside a record nine former prime ministers. BBC bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqy8… Royal Navy 1st Autonomous Squadron Commissioned The Royal Navy has launched its first ever autonomous squadron, which will operate uncrewed boats including the Kraken and Rattler vessels on front-line operations. Based in Portsmouth with around 180 personnel, the squadron replaces Project Beehive and is part of the hybrid navy, backed by £1.5bn of investment over four years. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the investment strengthens warfighting readiness and deterrence. Joint Forces News joint-forces.com/uk-news/954… NATO Sub Hunters in Baltic Exercise to Face Drone Attacks NATO's Exercise Dynamic Merlin 26 runs from 9 to 13 November off the coast of Sweden, with Standing NATO Maritime Group One warships and maritime patrol aircraft from France, Germany, Sweden and the UK hunting German and Swedish submarines, while live, unannounced drone serials test counter-drone defences. UK Defence Journal ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nato… Ukraine War Briefing: Post-War Security Guarantees a Key Focus in Abu Dhabi Talks, Says Rubio US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some progress had been made on what the security infrastructure of Ukraine and Europe could look like after the war, ahead of US-mediated Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Donald Trump suggested Ukraine could emerge from a settlement with altered borders, and France said it would take part in the talks. The Guardian theguardian.com/world/2026/n… Rare Call for More Electricity Supplies as Wind Power Drops Across Europe The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a rare electricity margin notice for Monday morning, citing a shortfall of almost 1,400 megawatts in supply margins from 6am to 11am amid low wind generation across Europe, later reduced to 500MW. Neso said the notice was a routine and precautionary measure, not a warning of power cuts, and that Great Britain's electricity system remains secure. The Guardian theguardian.com/business/202… #UKDefenceUpdate