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Fast Company
13 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
U.K. pledges sweeping defense changes to counter Russia—and send a message to Trump
Louise Holmes, MBDA UK Deputy Managing Director, shows Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey, left, a storm shadow missile on an assembly line at the MBDA Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage, England, Saturday May 31, 2025. [Photo: Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP] BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 4:58 The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, get its army ready to fight a war in Europe and become 'a battle-ready, armor-clad nation,' Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow—and Washington. Starmer said Britain 'cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses' as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to Britain's defenses since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago. 'The threat we face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War,' Starmer told workers and journalists at a navy shipyard in Scotland. A new era of threats Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The government announced military plans in response to a strategic defense review commissioned by Starmer and led by George Robertson, a former U.K. defense secretary and NATO secretary general. It's the first such review since 2021, and lands in a world shaken and transformed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and by the re-election of President Donald Trump last year. Months after Britain's last major defense review was published in 2021, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said with confidence that the era of 'fighting big tank battles on European landmass' are over. Three months later, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Starmer's center-left Labour Party government says it will accept all 62 recommendations made in the review, aiming to help the U.K. confront growing threats on land, air sea and in cyberspace. Submarines and weapons The measures include increasing production of submarines and weapons and 'learning the lessons of Ukraine,' which has rapidly developed its drone technology to counter Moscow's forces and even hit targets deep inside Russia. The government said the U.K, will also establish a cyber command to counter 'daily' Russia-linked attacks on Britain's defenses. Monday's announcements include building 'up to 12' nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines under the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion pounds in Britain's nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be kept secret. The government will also increase conventional Britain's weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons. Starmer said rearming would create a 'defense dividend' of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs—a contrast to the post-Cold War 'peace dividend' that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas. Deterring Russia comes at a cost Defense Secretary John Healey said the changes would send 'a message to Moscow,' and transform the country's military following decades of retrenchment, though he said he does not expect the number of soldiers—currently at a two-century low—to rise until the early 2030s. Healey said plans for defense spending to hit 2.5% of national income by 2027 a year are 'on track' and that there's 'no doubt' it will hit 3% before 2034. Starmer said the 3% goal is an 'ambition,' rather than a firm promise, and it's unclear where the cash-strapped Treasury will find the money. The government has already, contentiously, cut international aid spending to reach the 2.5% target. Starmer said he wouldn't make a firm pledge until he knew 'precisely where the money is coming from.' Even 3% falls short of what some leaders in NATO think is needed to deter Russia from future attacks on its neighbors. NATO chief Mark Rutte says leaders of the 32 member countries will debate a commitment to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defense when they meet in the Netherlands this month. Subscribe to the Daily Company's trending stories delivered to you every day SIGN UP Bolstering Europe's defenses It's also a message to Trump that Europe is heeding his demand for NATO members to spend more on their own defense. European countries, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't pull their weight. Starmer said his government would make 'Britain's biggest contribution to NATO since its creation.' 'We will never fight alone,' he said. 'Our defense policy will always be NATO-first.' James Cartlidge, defense spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, welcomed more money for defense but was skeptical of the government's 3% pledge. 'All of Labour's strategic defence review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them,' he said. —Jill Lawless and Pan Pylas, Associated Press The extended deadline for Fast Company's Brands That Matter Awards is this Friday, June 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Britain is getting a defence boost aimed at sending a message to Moscow, and to Trump
Director of Mechanical Engineering Matt Beamont shows Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey, left, a storm shadow missile on an assembly line at the MBDA Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage, England, Saturday May 31, 2025. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP) LONDON — The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines and create an army ready to fight a war in Europe as part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow — and Washington. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain 'cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses' as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to Britain's defences since the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago. 'We have to recognize the world has changed,' Starmer told the BBC. 'With greater instability than there has been for many, many years, and greater threats.' What's happening on Monday? The government is to respond to a strategic defence review commissioned by Starmer and led by George Robertson, a former U.K. defence secretary and NATO secretary general. It's the first such review since 2021, and lands in a world shaken and transformed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and by the re-election of President Donald Trump last year. Months after Britain's last major defence review was published in 2021, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said with confidence that the era of 'fighting big tank battles on European landmass' are over. Three months later, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Starmer's center-left Labour Party government says it will accept all 62 recommendations made in the review, aiming to help the U.K. confront growing threats on land, air sea and in cyberspace. Defense Secretary John Healey said the changes would send 'a message to Moscow, and transform the country's military following decades of retrenchment, though he said he does not expect the number of soldiers — currently at a historic low — to rise until the early 2030s. Healey said plans for defence spending to hit 2.5% of national income by 2027 a year are 'on track' and that there's 'no doubt' it will hit 3% before 2034. Starmer said the 3% goal is an 'ambition,' rather than a firm promise, and it's unclear where the cash-strapped Treasury will find the money. The government has already, contentiously, cut international aid spending to reach the 2.5% target. Starmer said he wouldn't make a firm pledge until he knew 'precisely where the money is coming from.' Deterring Russia Even 3% falls short of what some leaders in NATO think is needed to deter Russia from future attacks on its neighbors. NATO chief Mark Rutte says leaders of the 32 member countries will debate a commitment to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defence when they meet in the Netherlands this month. Monday's announcements include building 'up to 12' nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines under the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion in Britain's nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be scarce. The government will also increase conventional Britain's weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons. Starmer said rearming would create a 'defence dividend' of well-paid jobs — a contrast to the post-Cold War 'peace dividend' that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas. Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defence spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Healey said Russia is 'attacking the U.K. daily,' with 90,000 cyberattacks from state-linked sources directed at the U.K.'s defence over the last two years. A cyber command to counter such threats is expected to be set up as part of the review. 'This is a message to Moscow,' Healey told the BBC. Bolstering Europe's defences It's also a message to Trump that Europe is heeding his demand for NATO members to spend more on their own defence. European countries, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defence posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't pull their weight. James Cartlidge, defence spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, welcomed more money for defence but was skeptical of the government's 3% pledge, 'All of Labour's strategic defence review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them,' he said. Jill Lawless And Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
UK to expand submarine fleet as defence review calls for 'warfighting readiness'
FILE PHOTO: British Defence Secretary John Healey visits the MBDA Storm Shadow factory on May 31, 2025 in Stevenage, England. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File photo LONDON - Britain will increase the size of its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet, the government has announced ahead of a defence review expected to say the country must invest billions to be ready and equipped to fight a modern war. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like other leaders across Europe, is racing to rebuild his country's defence capabilities after U.S. President Donald Trump told the continent it needed to take more responsibility for its own security. Monday's Strategic Defence Review will call for Britain's armed forces to move to a state of "warfighting readiness", spelling out changing security threats and which defence technologies are needed to counter them. "We know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression," defence minister John Healey said in a statement. Britain will build up to 12 of its next-generation attack submarines, which are nuclear-powered but carry conventional non-nuclear weapons, to replace the current fleet of seven from the late 2030s, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Britain operates a separate fleet of submarines armed with nuclear weapons. The government for the first time said a pre-existing programme to develop a new nuclear warhead to replace the model used by that fleet would cost 15 billion pounds. "With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad," Healey added. The new submarines will be a model jointly developed by the UK, U.S. and Australia under the security partnership known as AUKUS. REVERSE DECLINE In light of Trump's decision to upend decades of strategic reliance on the U.S. by Europe, Starmer has already committed to increasing Britain's defence spending in an attempt to reverse a long-term decline in its military capability. He has promised to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and target a 3% level over the longer term. On Sunday he warned Britain must be ready to fight and win a war against states with advanced military forces. In the days running up to the Strategic Defence Review, which Starmer commissioned shortly after taking office last July, the government has announced plans to spend billions on munitions plants, battlefield technology and military housing. Juggling severely strained public finances, a slow-growing economy and declining popularity among an increasingly dissatisfied electorate, Starmer has sought to cast increased spending on defence as a way to create jobs and wealth. "This plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country," he is expected to say in a speech launching Monday's review. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
UK to expand submarine fleet as defence review calls for 'warfighting readiness'
FILE PHOTO: British Defence Secretary John Healey visits the MBDA Storm Shadow factory on May 31, 2025 in Stevenage, England. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File photo LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will increase the size of its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet, the government has announced ahead of a defence review expected to say the country must invest billions to be ready and equipped to fight a modern war. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like other leaders across Europe, is racing to rebuild his country's defence capabilities after U.S. President Donald Trump told the continent it needed to take more responsibility for its own security. Monday's Strategic Defence Review will call for Britain's armed forces to move to a state of "warfighting readiness", spelling out changing security threats and which defence technologies are needed to counter them. "We know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression," defence minister John Healey said in a statement. Britain will build up to 12 of its next-generation attack submarines, which are nuclear-powered but carry conventional non-nuclear weapons, to replace the current fleet of seven from the late 2030s, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Britain operates a separate fleet of submarines armed with nuclear weapons. The government for the first time said a pre-existing programme to develop a new nuclear warhead to replace the model used by that fleet would cost 15 billion pounds. "With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad," Healey added. The new submarines will be a model jointly developed by the UK, U.S. and Australia under the security partnership known as AUKUS. REVERSE DECLINE In light of Trump's decision to upend decades of strategic reliance on the U.S. by Europe, Starmer has already committed to increasing Britain's defence spending in an attempt to reverse a long-term decline in its military capability. He has promised to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and target a 3% level over the longer term. On Sunday he warned Britain must be ready to fight and win a war against states with advanced military forces. In the days running up to the Strategic Defence Review, which Starmer commissioned shortly after taking office last July, the government has announced plans to spend billions on munitions plants, battlefield technology and military housing. Juggling severely strained public finances, a slow-growing economy and declining popularity among an increasingly dissatisfied electorate, Starmer has sought to cast increased spending on defence as a way to create jobs and wealth. "This plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country," he is expected to say in a speech launching Monday's review. (Reporting by William James; Editing by David Holmes)
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
The U.K. seeks to send a message to Moscow as it outlines higher defense spending
Director of Mechanical Engineering Matt Beamont shows Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey, left, a storm shadow missile on an assembly line at the MBDA Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage, England, Saturday May 31, 2025. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP) LONDON — The U.K. is about to see the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War as it seeks to send 'a message to Moscow,' the British defence secretary said Sunday. John Healey said the Labour government's current plans for defence spending will be enough to transform the country's military following decades of retrenchment, though he does not expect the number of soldiers — currently at a historic low — to rise until the early 2030s. He said plans for defence spending to hit 2.5 per cent of national income by 2027, which amounts to an extra 13 billion pounds (US$17 billion) or so a year, were 'on track' and that there was 'no doubt' it would hit three per cent in the next parliament in the early 2030s. The government will on Monday respond to a strategic defence review, overseen by Healey and led by Lord George Robertson, a former NATO secretary general and defence secretary in a previous Labour government. It is expected to be the most consequential review since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and make a series of recommendations for the U.K. to deal with the new threat environment, both on the military front and in cyberspace. Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been compelled to take a closer look at its defence spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 'This is a message to Moscow,' Healey told the BBC. '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.' U.S. President Donald Trump has also piled pressure on NATO members to bolster their defence spending. And in recent months, European countries, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defence posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't pull their weight. Healey also said Russia is 'attacking the U.K. daily' as part of some 90,000 cyber attacks from state-linked sources that were directed at the U.K,'s defence over the last two years. A cyber command to counter such threats is expected to be set up as part of the review. 'The tensions are greater but we prepare for war in order to secure the peace,' he said. 'If you're strong enough to defeat an enemy, you deter them from attacking in the first place.' While on a visit to a factory on Saturday where Storm Shadow missiles are assembled, Healey said the government would support the procurement of up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons and that new funding will see U.K. munitions spending hitting 6 billion pounds in the coming years. 'Six billion over the next five years in factories like this which allow us not just to produce the munitions that equip our forces for the future but to create the jobs in every part of the U.K.,' he said. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary for the main opposition Conservative Party, welcomed the government's pledge to increase defence spending but said he was 'skeptical' as to whether the Treasury would deliver. He called on the government to be more ambitious and raise spending to three per cent of national income within this parliament, which can run until 2029. 'We think that 2034 is a long time to wait, given the gravity of the situation,' he told Sky News. Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
