Britain is set to unveil a new defence plan on Tuesday that places self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines and drones at the centre of its future military strategy. The plan comes as the UK faces pressure to spend more on defence amid a more aggressive Russia and a less reliable United States.
The Defence Investment Plan, delayed several times because of differences between military leaders and Treasury officials over costs, is meant to map out how the UK will raise defence spending to NATO’s target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would ensure “our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe”. The full document is due later on Tuesday.
The debate over spending intensified after John Healey resigned as defence secretary on June 11, saying the government was not willing to spend enough on the military at a time of “rising threats”. Healey said UK defence spending must reach 3% of GDP by 2030, pointing to a British intelligence assessment that Russia could attack a NATO member country by then. He said the Treasury’s plan would raise spending only to 2.68% in 2030, after reaching 2.6% next year.
The government has said the plan has been “refocused” in recent weeks under Healey’s successor, Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis. That includes somewhat more than the 13.5 billion pounds offered to Healey, but is still likely to be well below the 28 billion pounds that defence officials had sought.
The UK is also drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, where drones have reshaped the battlefield. Ukraine uses 200,000 drones a month to defend against Russian forces, and Britain plans to invest billions of pounds in drone systems across all branches of the military. Instead of a planned fleet of new destroyers, the Royal Navy will receive hybrid vessels that will serve as command hubs for drones.
Britain and other NATO members have also been under pressure from US President Donald Trump to raise military spending. Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of the alliance and said the United States provides security to European countries that do not pull their weight.
The political backdrop has added to the scrutiny around the plan. The resignations of Healey and junior Defence Minister Al Carns were among a series of setbacks that led Starmer to announce last week that he will resign. He is expected to attend a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 in one of his final acts as prime minister. His successor, likely former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will face pressure to keep the commitments in the plan. Opposition Conservative Party defence spokesperson James Cartlidge called it “too little, too late” and said, “The plan is now almost a year overdue and only being rushed through because Keir Starmer is desperate for a legacy.”
In all, the plan is expected to set out how Britain will spend more on defence, modernise its forces with new technology and respond to rising pressure from allies and rivals alike, even as questions remain over whether the funding will match the military’s demands.
With PTI Inputs
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