Britain unveils new blueprint for 21st century warfare

The National

2 days ago

Britain has announced a radical shake up of its armed forces putting them on a war-footing to meet the growing global threats.
The UK's strategic defence review (SDR) unveiled on Monday warns the increasing likelihood of full-scale conflict means Britain 'must pivot to a new way of war'.
With defence spending rising significantly, the army's size will also increase troop numbers by almost five per cent to 76,000 soldiers, the navy will receive 12 new hunter killer submarines, six new armament factories will be built and a missile defence shield constructed.
Artificial intelligence and drones are all part of the plans to keep the UK safe.
The military have been told that 'an immediate priority' should be a 'shift towards greater use of autonomy and artificial intelligence', while the Army should be prepared to operate with 'a 20-40-40' mix between crewed systems, 'reusable' tech such as drones, and 'consumables' such as rockets, shells and missiles.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the country would "accelerate innovation at a war-time pace' with the growing threats from Russia, Iran and China, moving the military into 'war-fighting readiness'.
The review also emphasised the UK's key alliances with Gulf States with Britain keeping a sizeable force and strong relationships in the Middle East.
Defence Secretary John Healey pledged to 'create a British Army that is 10 times more lethal' through software and long-range weapons, and committed to delivering 'the best kit and technology into the hands of our frontline forces'.
Fading peace
Britain, Europe and Nato were now threatened by 'states with advanced military forces' in a much more volatile world that was 'changing at remarkable pace'.
The UK was already under daily cyber attack – most likely from Iran, Russia and China –with Moscow in particular 'an immediate and pressing threat' whose strong war economy will allow it to rapidly rebuild its military following a ceasefire in Ukraine.
China offered a 'sophisticated and persistent challenge' while Iran was escalating its nuclear programme and sponsoring its proxies in Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Climate change was also likely to bring more conflict over resources and the rising temperatures could mean that the Arctic is ice free each summer from 2040, providing a new area for conflict.
Hybrid force
In a sobering paragraph, the report stated Britain had to prepare itself for the potential effects of state-on-state war with air and missile attacks on its critical national infrastructure.
Reflecting those dangers, a series of new programmes were announced to prepare the armed forces 'for a much more difficult world'. It is the first defence review in five decades that has not announced cuts in kit or troop reductions.
Internal reforms would reorganise the three military services – army, navy and air force - into a single force that operates in air, land and sea. 'The essential task is to transform the armed forces, restore their readiness to fight and reverse the 'hollowing out' of foundational capabilities without which they cannot endure in a protracted high-intensity conflict,' the 140-page review stated.
The armed forces needed to 'move further and faster to increase lethality' while also increasing their numbers of personnel and equipment.
Submarines and long-range weapons
Nuclear deterrence is at the heart of the blueprint with 12 new hunter-killer submarines on the books and £15 billion allocated to the new sovereign nuclear warhead programme.
Six new ammunition factories will be built to churn out hundreds of thousands of bullets and shells as well as 7,000 new long-range weapons.
To protect the homeland it will spend £1 billion on an air and missile defence system, with Mr Starmer hoping that there will be a defence dividend that will see thousands of jobs created in the sector.
Britain's two aircraft carriers, that each cost £3 billion but are now more vulnerable in a world of precision weapons, would be transformed into a hybrid warship carrying drones, long-range weapons and its regular complement of F-35B jets.
Marines model
Britain's Cold War force of 311,000 personnel has shrunk to just over 136,000 with defence spending as a proportion of GDP almost halving to 2.3 per cent.
It now appears that with such a small military operating in three different services this is no longer viable with the concept of the US Marine Corps instead being put forward where all become an 'integrated force'.
This had to be 'more lethal than the sum of its parts', the report stated, while being skilled in the evolving forms of warfare.
'This force must be as ready to fight a battle for terrain as it is to fight a battle of will at long range without boots on the ground,' it said.
It also used Britain's renowned special forces as an example for the single force concept that was also a 'tip of the spear' force which needed to be maintained 'at the very highest level'.
This would mean much greater coordination between the services, something that the report does not go into, but it does emphasise the need for decisions made 'much faster' with everyone digitally connected to create a 'shared understanding' of objectives.
The forces would also need to have a mixture of highly sophisticated weapons used alongside suicide drones and large quantities of artillery rounds.
The army, that is still recovering from its experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, also had to be bold and deliver a 'ten-fold increase in lethality' by harnessing precision firepower and advanced technology.
'Defence must move further and faster to increase lethality,' wrote the three authors, retired Gen Sir Richard Barrons, former Nato Secretary General George Robertson and foreign policy advisor Dr Fiona Hill.
Middle East emphasis
The home defences were also helped by Britain's broad international alliances from the US, to Europe and Pacific countries.
But the Middle East was named as a region where Britain enjoyed 'some of the deepest and broadest and older relationships'.
'The Gulf provides essential access and basing enabling the UK to support international security and freedom of navigation,' it said.
It was also a 'natural partner' for the Gulf Cooperation Council with Britain offering 'world class military education' and access to key equipment programmes.
It named the longstanding partnership with Saudi Arabia as well as continuing 'to develop its relationship' with the UAE military.
'The UK should build on its relationships in the Middle East, bolstering security,' it concluded.