Defence review is ‘message to Moscow'

Independent

2 days ago

The Defence Secretary has called plans to boost the UK's military might a 'message to Moscow' but said he does not expect to raise the number of soldiers until the next parliament.
The Government has pledged £1.5 billion to set up at least six factories, and will support the procurement of up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in response to the strategic defence review (SDR) to be published on Monday.
The new funding will see UK munitions spend hit £6 billion during this parliament and support around 1,800 jobs throughout the country.
Sir Keir Starmer has called the review a 'radical blueprint' and pledged a 'wave of investments' in shipbuilding, drone technology and cyber defences.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the £6 billion of investment would 'equip our forces for the future' and 'create the jobs in every part of the UK'.
'This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
He said Russia is 'attacking the UK daily' as part of some 90,000 cyber attacks from state-linked sources were directed at the UK's defence over the last two years.
A cyber command to counter such threats is being set up as part of the review.
Asked if he expected a form of real-world attack by Russia on the UK in the coming years, he said: 'We have to be prepared. Nato has to be prepared. We see Putin in Ukraine trying to redraw international boundaries by force … it's part of the growing Russian aggression.'
He added that is why Nato and the UK are 'stepping up our ability to deter as well as to defend in the future'.
'The world is more uncertain. The tensions are greater but we prepare for war in order to secure the peace. If you're strong enough to defeat an enemy you deter them from attacking in the first place,' Mr Healey said.
He said plans to reach 2.5% of GDP spending on defence by 2027 and an 'ambition' to hit 3% in the next parliament were 'enough to deliver the SDR's vision that sets out tomorrow, and that vision is a transformation of Britain's armed forces.'
He said there was 'no doubt' the Government would reach 3% in the next parliament.
But he said he does not expect to make progress towards raising the number of soldiers to 73,000 until the next parliament.
'We've narrowed the gap, but we've still got more people leaving than joining.
'The first job is to reverse that trend and then I want to see in the next parliament our ability to start to increase the number,' he said.
Defence minister Alistair Cairns, writing in The Mirror, said there were plans to increase cadet numbers by 30% with new opportunities for young people to get into the armed forces.
And more than £1.5 billion in extra funding will go to military homes for urgent repairs such as fixing boilers and roofs, and other issues including tackling damp.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the Government's pledge to increase defence spending but said he was 'sceptical' as to whether the Chancellor would make good on the plans.
Mr Jenrick said the UK should reach 3% of GDP spending on defence 'within this parliament'.
'We think that 2034 is a long time to wait given the gravity of the situation,' he told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News.