Latest news with #SSN-Aukus
Spectator
3 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
Is Britain ‘battle-ready'?
Today the government has published the long-awaited strategic defence review. The brief was to take a new look at some of the challenges to the UK in 2025, and what is needed to ensure our security and reset our defence priorities. We are still waiting for some of the detail, but so far we know: £15 billion for new warheads to be carried by the new Dreadnought-class submarines; a dozen new SSN-Aukus attack submarines; £1.5 billion to build at least six munitions' factories; £6 billion to procure munitions over the remainder of this parliament; and £1 billion for digital capability and a new CyberEM Command. Where is all that money coming from? Most of the squabbling today has been over the commitment to 3 per cent of GDP on defence spending. Labour have so far only gone as far as to say that's an 'ambition'. But are Labour being ambitious enough? Is the UK still a global player when it comes to defence if we can't commit to 3 per cent? Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Emma Salisbury, research fellow at the Council on Geostrategy. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
12 new submarines set to be built in UK, the Government has announced
12 new submarines set to be built in UK, the Government has announced Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was due to say today: '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' John Healey appeared on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg yesterday (Image: PA ) The Prime Minister was set to announce today, June 2, that the UK would build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and channel £15 billion into enhancing its warhead programme, as part of the Government's strategic defence review. The move will also support 30,000 jobs and is expected to create a further 40,000. The review includes 62 recommendations, with the Government expected to fully endorse significant investment in the UK's nuclear warhead programme during this parliament and the maintenance of the current arsenal. However, there has been some uncertainty regarding the Government's pledge to defence spending, following the Defence Secretary's inability to confirm whether the Treasury had secured funding to achieve a target of 3% of GDP by 2034. The construction of the new submarines, a key element of the Aukus alliance with the US and Australia, is expected to support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s. It will also create 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate positions over the coming decade, according to the Ministry of Defence. Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression." Article continues below He added: "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, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country." The Government's commitment to maintaining the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, constructing a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and delivering all future upgrades, will be supported by a £15 billion investment into the warhead programme. From the late 2030s, a fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will take over from the seven astute class attack submarines that the UK is set to begin operating. In line with the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to: Getting the armed forces to a stage where it would be ready to fight a war Boosting weapons and equipment stockpiles and making sure there is capacity to scale up production if needed in a crisis or war Buying up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in a move due to support 800 defence jobs Setting up a new cyber command and investing £1 billion in digital capabilities More than £1.5 billion of additional funding to repair and renew armed forces housing. Sir Keir Starmer was due to say: "From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security. "National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and 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. "This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future." Both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have expressed scepticism over Labour's commitment to financing what's proposed. After fulfilling its promise to elevate defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April, 2027, the Government has voiced its "ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament". Mr Healey told The Times there was "no doubt" the UK would hit the 3% mark. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . However, during Sunday's broadcast of BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Healey evaded the question regarding Treasury assurances for the proposed funding. He said he did not foresee an increase in armed forces personnel before the subsequent Parliamentary session amid ongoing recruitment and retention issues. Confronted with queries about when the Army might achieve its 73,000 personnel target, Mr Healey acknowledged: "We've narrowed the gap, but we've still got more people leaving than joining." His immediate priority is to reverse this trend before looking to expand numbers in the following Parliament. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: "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. "Whereas, far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves. As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3%, but today he's completely backtracked. "These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can't even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?". Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: "This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK's defences in the face of Putin's imperialism and Trump's unreliability. "But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming. "The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government. Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib." Article continues below
STV News
3 days ago
- Business
- STV News
UK to be 'war-ready' as Government to build up to 12 attack submarines
The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15bn in its warhead programme, the Prime Minister will announce on Monday as the Government unveils its strategic defence review. Significant investment in the UK nuclear warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the Government is expected to accept in full. But questions were also raised about its commitment to defence spending after the Defence Secretary could not confirm the Treasury had guaranteed funding to bring it up to 3% of GDP by 2034. Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia, will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence said. Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. '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, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country.' PA Media Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK 'must act decisively to face down Russian aggression' (Yui Mok/PA). The £15bn investment into the warhead programme will back the Government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, build a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and deliver all future upgrades. From the late 2030s, the fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will replace seven astute class attack submarines the UK is due to start operating. In response to the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to: – Getting the armed forces to a stage where it would be ready to fight a war – Boosting weapons and equipment stockpiles and making sure there is capacity to scale up production if needed in a crisis or war – Buying up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in a move due to support 800 defence jobs – Setting up a new cyber command and investing £1bn in digital capabilities – More than £1.5bn of additional funding to repair and renew armed forces housing. Sir Keir Starmer will say: 'From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security. 'National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and 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. 'This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future.' The Conservatives and Lib Dems questioned Labour's commitment to funding the promises it was making. The Government has previously set out its 'ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament', after meeting its pledge to ratchet up defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027. Healey had said there was 'no doubt' the UK would reach 3% in an interview with The Times. But on Sunday, he sidestepped questions about whether he had any guarantee from the Treasury to provide the funding when asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said he does not expect to increase the number of people in the armed forces until the next Parliament amid a recruitment and retention crisis. Asked when the Army would reach the target of 73,000, Healey said: '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.' Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: '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. 'Whereas, far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves. 'As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3%, but today he's completely backtracked. 'These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can't even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?' Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: 'This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK's defences in the face of Putin's imperialism and Trump's unreliability. 'But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. 'Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming. 'The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government. 'Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
How to watch Keir Starmer's defence speech in Scotland
Significant investment in the UK nuclear warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the Government is expected to accept in full. In response to the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to: But questions were also raised about its commitment to defence spending after the Defence Secretary could not confirm the Treasury had guaranteed funding to bring it up to 3% of GDP by 2034. Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia, will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence said. READ MORE: Hamilton by-election campaign enters final days as parties make final pleas to voters Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. '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, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country.' The £15 billion investment into the warhead programme will back the Government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, build a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and deliver all future upgrades. From the late 2030s, the fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will replace seven astute class attack submarines the UK is due to start operating. How can I watch Keir Starmer's speech in Glasgow? Starmer will set out the review with a short speech, followed by a media Q&A from 10am. It will be live on BBC, as well as Sky News. You can watch here. Starmer will say: 'From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security. 'National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and 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. 'This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future.' The Conservatives and Lib Dems questioned Labour's commitment to funding the promises it was making. The Government has previously set out its 'ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament', after meeting its pledge to ratchet up defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027. Healey had said there was 'no doubt' the UK would reach 3% in an interview with The Times. But on Sunday, he sidestepped questions about whether he had any guarantee from the Treasury to provide the funding when asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said he does not expect to increase the number of people in the armed forces until the next Parliament amid a recruitment and retention crisis. Asked when the Army would reach the target of 73,000, Healey said: '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.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines and invest £15bn in warheads
UK government unveils strategic defence review but opponents question commitment to defence spending of 3 per cent of GDP by 2034 Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme, the Prime Minister will announce on Monday as the Government unveils its strategic defence review. Significant investment in the UK nuclear warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the Government is expected to accept in full. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But questions were also raised about its commitment to defence spending after the Defence Secretary could not confirm the Treasury had guaranteed funding to bring it up to 3 per cent of GDP by 2034. Defence Secretary John Healey appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, ahead of today's publication of the strategic defence review | PA Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia , will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence said. Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. "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, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The £15 billion investment into the warhead programme will back the Government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, build a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and deliver all future upgrades. From the late 2030s, the fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will replace seven astute class attack submarines the UK is due to start operating. Getting ready for war In response to the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to: - Getting the armed forces to a stage where it would be ready to fight a war Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad - Boosting weapons and equipment stockpiles and making sure there is capacity to scale up production if needed in a crisis or war - Buying up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in a move due to support 800 defence jobs - Setting up a new cyber command and investing £1 billion in digital capabilities - More than £1.5 billion of additional funding to repair and renew armed forces housing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sir Keir Starmer will say: "From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security. "National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and 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. "This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future." Opponents question Labour's funding commitment The Conservatives and Lib Dems questioned Labour's commitment to funding the promises it was making. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Government has previously set out its "ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament", after meeting its pledge to ratchet up defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by April 2027 . Mr Healey had said there was "no doubt" the UK would reach 3 per cent in an interview with The Times. But on Sunday, he sidestepped questions about whether he had any guarantee from the Treasury to provide the funding when asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said he does not expect to increase the number of people in the armed forces until the next Parliament amid a recruitment and retention crisis. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Asked when the Army would reach the target of 73,000, Mr Healey said: "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." Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: "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. "Whereas, far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves . Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3 per cent, but today he's completely backtracked. "These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can't even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?" Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: "This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK's defences in the face of Putin's imperialism and Trump's unreliability. "But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3 per cent of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming. "The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government.
