Latest news with #RussiaThreat
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Starmer promises to make Britain ‘a battle-ready, armour-clad nation'
The UK's strategic defence review (SDR) warns of the 'pressing and immediate' threat from Russia, suggesting the need for quicker action to bolster defence capabilities. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled the SDR, promising to make Britain a 'battle-ready, armour-clad nation' with an army of 100,000, new submarines, drones, and AI integration. Defence Secretary John Healey stressed the urgency for Britain 's army to become '10 times more lethal' due to threats from Russia and China, advocating for a 'new era for UK defence'. The SDR recommends increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP, but concerns have been raised about funding, with warnings of potential tax hikes to meet the ambitious goals. The review, led by Lord George Robertson, includes 62 recommendations and highlights that the armed forces are currently ill-prepared for conflicts with adversaries like Russia or China, citing inadequate resources and personnel.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Battle Lines: Britain put on war footing - but can government afford it?
After nearly a year of waiting, the UK's Strategic Defence Review has been published. If that means nothing to you - don't worry, we explain it all on today's show. The SDR was intended to be a root-and-branch review of the UK Armed Forces that would provide a road map to keep the country safe for decades to come - especially in the face of the growing threat of Russia. But already there are questions over funding and how to boost recruitment. Venetia chats to Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the army, about what the review is missing, and Alistair Carns, minister for people and veterans at the Ministry of Defence, about what it gets right.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
UK to expand submarine fleet in shift to ‘warfighting readiness'
The new submarines are based on a model that has been jointly developed by the UK, US, and Australia under a security partnership known as AUKUS. (AFP pic) LONDON : Britain will expand its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet as part of a defence review to be published today that is designed to prepare the country to fight a modern war and counter the threat from Russia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like other European leaders, is racing to rebuild the UK's military capabilities after US 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' and spell out the threats it faces, including Russian aggression. In light of Trump's decision to upend Europe's strategic reliance on the US, Starmer has already committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, from 2.3%, with an ambition to get to 3% over the longer term. The defence review will set out plans to build at least six new munitions plants, procure up to 7,000 British-made, long-range weapons, and launch new tech and cyber systems to better connect and defend the armed forces on the battlefield. 'We cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses. We've seen what's happened in Ukraine just over three years ago,' Starmer told the BBC. The review, led by the former Nato boss, George Robertson, and a former Russia adviser to the White House, Fiona Hill, is designed to reverse Britain's post-Cold War decline in military capability. It will make 62 recommendations, all of which the government is expected to accept. Attack subs Among the changes, 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 defence ministry said. 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,' defence secretary John Healey said. The new submarines will be a model jointly developed by the UK, US and Australia, under a security partnership known as AUKUS. 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 today's review.
