Latest news with #UKArmedForces
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
UK moving to 'war-fighting readiness' as it unveils results of strategic defence review
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK is moving to 'war-fighting readiness,' as he warned the frontline is already within the country. He was announcing the results of the Strategic Defence Review, the first big-picture look at the role of Britain's Armed Forces since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Stuart Smith reports.
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.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Chilling threats by hostile states to our energy, food supply and way of life - as defence overhaul aims to get Britain 'war ready'
A blueprint to get Britain 'war ready' to fight Vladimir Putin has revealed this country's vulnerabilities in the event of a major conflict. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR), published today, includes a chilling list of the potential effects on the UK's way of life. But, despite these threats, top brass are expected to save money. The SDR, which has recommended an overhaul of the UK's Armed Forces, also lays bare Britain's overseas dependencies and threats. In the event of war, Britain would be subject to attacks on its military bases at home and abroad, long-range drone and cruise missile sorties, cyber-attacks crippling national infrastructure and disruptions to economic interests and international trade routes. The report reveals 95 per cent of the UK's data is carried by undersea cables that are vulnerable to attack, and Britain relies on imports for 46 per cent of its food. It says: 'Undersea pipelines and data cables are critical for sustaining daily national life. The maritime domain is increasingly vulnerable. The Royal Navy must be prepared to deter maritime incidents similar to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the cutting of undersea data cables in UK and international waters'. In recent years as much as 77 per cent of the UK's gas imports have come from Norway. So, if the Nordic state was compromised, Britain's energy supplies would be cut. The SDR, written by former Nato secretary-general Lord Robertson, retired general Sir Richard Barrons and Russia expert Fiona Hill, was described today as the most profound change to defence in 150 years. It sets out technologies which are redefining warfare such as artificial intelligence, robotics, enhanced precision and directed energy weapons, hypersonic missiles, space-based capabilities, quantum mechanics, cyber threats and engineering biology. And while for centuries the Royal Navy and the Army, and more recently the Royal Air Force have trained and equipped themselves separately, they are to come together as never before. Though the plan stops short of a full merger, the services will effectively be moulded into an 'Integrated Force'. The SDR argues this will be more efficient than maintaining a 'siloed' Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. It says: 'In practice, the single services have largely evolved separately in terms of design, equipment and training. 'The result is a force that joins up only on the battlefield. The effectiveness of the Armed Forces on operations is determined by the capabilities available to each service at the point of deployment, rather than the result of joined up planning and delivery.' The weakening of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as independent entities, which is likely to trigger fierce debate, is reinforced by the language of the report. The separate services are scarcely mentioned whereas the newly raised Integrated Force is referred to repeatedly. This afternoon, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge described the SDR as an 'empty wish list due to funding constraints'. He told the House of Commons: 'Today, the Prime Minister was unable to give a date when 3 per cent [of GDP] would be reached, because the Treasury hasn't approved the plan. 'For the Treasury to do so, it will have to feature billions of pounds of cuts from existing MoD programmes. 'The SDR has deferred all the big decisions on existing capabilities. The terrible shame of this SDR unravelling is that this was an extraordinary opportunity to overhaul our armed forces, in a world of growing threats. 'For the past year the Treasury has used the SDR to effectively put MOD procurement on hold, absolutely shameful when we need to rearm at pace. 'Our Armed Forces deserve better. This Government has produced a damp squib SDR that is overdue, under-funded and underwhelming.' Sections of the SDR are devoted to domains, land, sea, air, cyber and space, rather than by service. As part of its contribution to the land domain, the SDR expects the Army to deliver 'a ten-fold increase in lethality'. But this will have to be achieved with just a small uplift in the size of the Army – from 73,000 to 76,000 regular soldiers as the settled size of the full-time ranks. The report concedes there is a 'strong case for a small increase in regular numbers when funding allows'. The SDR suggests fewer paratroopers will be trained to jump. The Parachute Regiment has three full-time battalions, but according to the report, 'parachute capability and capacity should remain focused on specialists and a single battalion group'. For its part, the Royal Air Force will provide the 'Integrated Force's quickest means of striking targets'. The report calls on the RAF to become more efficient and use civilian planes when a task 'does not require military capability'. While as the Mail revealed last week, the RAF will 'invest in autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs)' to protect legacy aircraft and vehicles. The Red Arrows display team will have to find new jets as the report recommends replacing the Hawk T1 and T2 planes with a 'cost-effective fast jet trainer'. Disturbingly, the Royal Navy is expected to move towards being 'cheaper'. The report adds the service should 'explore alternative approaches to delivering a balanced and cost-effective fleet'. Admirals are expected to use 'commercial vessels' for transportation in non-contested environments and to share logistical challenges with allies. The UK's £7billion combined cost aircraft carriers are expected to become more versatile, with adaptions to ensure long-range missiles can be fired from their decks and more uncrewed aircraft. Sea drones will also take up a multitude of roles that are currently undertaken by sailors, such as mine hunting. The SDR emphasises homeland defence and the Euro-Atlantic over expeditionary warfare or ambitions to shape the global security environment. This represents a marked change from the advocation of a 'Pacific tilt' in the UK's military posture as recently as 2021. The SDR has made 62 recommendations which government ministers have pledged to accept in full. It was designed to prepare this country to engage against an adversary such as Russia in this decade. It stresses the importance of the UK's contribution to Nato. In future, all aspects of preparation for conflict, such as training and procurement, will be predicated on the needs of the defence alliance. On technology, the review says advantage on the battlefield will not come from a single technological advance but from the combination of existing capabilities and a range of emerging technologies that include: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and data science The review says these technologies will improve the quality and speed of decision-making and operational effectiveness for Britain's military, its allies and its enemies. Robotics and autonomy The battlefield of the present, in Ukraine, is dominated by uncrewed and autonomous capabilities. For example, Ukraine's devastating attack on Russian airfields was delivered by drones. Uncrewed platforms will also integrate with manned aircraft and vehicles to generate mass and lethality. Enhanced precision weapons These mean targets can be struck with greater accuracy from ever greater ranges. Directed energy weapons Systems such as the UK's Dragon Fire, a world-leading laser ground to air system being developed by boffins at Porton Down, Wiltshire, can save millions of pounds in expenditure on ordnance systems. Their accuracy also means they reduce collateral damage. Hypersonic missiles The UK is developing rocket systems which travel at over five times the speed of sound, which may offer greater range and ability to evade defences Space-based capabilities The SDR says approaching 20 per cent of GDP is reliant on satellite services, making space a critical national infrastructure sector and the site of growing international competition. Major disruption to these satellites would cost the UK economy an estimated £1billion a day. Damage to the UK's satellites would also cripple missile systems and communications on the battlefield. The SDR calls on the Government to urgently develop the 'resilience of its military space systems'. It suggests the purchase of earth-based sensors and counterspace systems, but without providing details. Quantum Advances in quantum computing offer the potential for allies and adversaries to break encryption, making secure communications more challenging. Quantum technologies also have the potential to reduce dependency on satellite-based GPS which is vulnerable to interference and hacking. Cyber threats The report warns cyber threats will become harder to mitigate as technology evolves, with government departments, military hardware and communications increasingly vulnerable. Engineering biology Advances in wellbeing, bionic enhancement and supplementation could enhance the performance of soldiers in combat. The report says there are also possibilities for new energetic and explosive materials, as well as avenues for enormous harm in the shape of new pathogens and other weapons of mass destruction.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Nuclear jets, home guard and tensions over spending: What we know about Starmer's defence review
One of Sir Keir Starmer 's first acts as prime minister was to order a 'root and branch' review of Britain's armed forces. The prime minister said the UK's military capabilities had been 'hollowed out' during 14 years of Conservative rule, warning that an urgent revamp was needed with the country facing an increasingly dangerous world. And 10 months on, Sir Keir will on Monday unveil the outcome of the so-called strategic defence review. The Independent looks at what we know about the defence review and what to expect. Led by Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and secretary general of Nato, it brought together experts from the military, industry and academia. Lord Robertson was tasked with considering 'the threats Britain faces, the capabilities needed to meet them, the state of UK armed forces and the resources available'. Announcing the review, Sir Keir said: 'We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure.' It was desperately needed, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlighting the importance of new technologies such as drones in warfighting, while parliament's defence committee warned last year Britain would not be prepared to fight an all-out war. Alongside this, Donald Trump has been pressuring Sir Keir to hike Britain's defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP years earlier than planned, as the president seeks to wean Europe off dependence on the US for military support. And, adding to the urgency of an overhaul is Sir Keir's planned peacekeeping force, which would see thousands of troops sent to Ukraine in the event of Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin agreeing to a ceasefire. Ahead of the long-awaited review's publication, some insights have emerged, giving the public a taste of what to expect when it is fully unveiled. The UK is to expand its conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet, replacing seven boats with up to 12. They will be built under a joint deal with the US and Australia, known as Aukus. A separate fleet of nuclear-armed submarines will also receive a £15bn boost from a previously announced warhead programme, which ministers have put a price tag on for the first time. On Sunday the defence secretary John Healey also appeared to confirm reports he wants to purchase fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons, saying he could not comment on private discussions. Another key part of the review is a cyber command to counter a 'continual and intensifying' level of cyber warfare. Mr Healey has also announced plans to invest more than £1 billion into a new 'digital targeting web' to be set up by 2027, to better connect weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster. He said the intensity of the cyber attacks the UK is seeing from Russia has stepped up, adding that 'cyber is now the leading edge, not just of defence, but of contests and tension between countries'. Cyber experts are also expected to be sent to the frontline alongside regular forces, in a move designed to modernise the military. The review is also expected to put forward plans to establish a new home guard to protect key British infrastructure from attacks by hostile states and terrorists. The new force drawn from the civilian population would be sent to guard sites such as airports, power plants and coastal hubs where undersea internet cables join the shoreline. Ministers will also spend an additional £1.5 billion fixing up the military at home amid claims years of neglect have led to troops quitting. At the same time, another £1.5bn will be used to build at least six munitions and weapons factories, as part of an attempt to be ready for potential future conflicts. The review is also expected to warn of an "immediate and pressing" threat by Russia and draw heavily on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Despite some welcoming the early announcements and leaks, experts have raised concerns throughout the process of the review about delays caused by growing global tensions, whether it is ambitious enough, and whether Sir Keir's commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence would be enough. Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, said: 'The long-awaited strategic defence review can lead to significant change in the Armed Forces if it moves beyond previous platitudes and half-implemented ideas on innovation to rebuild the foundations of defence while also making recommendations for the big choices on technological transformation.' The strategic defence review is the latest overhaul of Britain's defence outlook, following an integrated review of security, defence, development, and foreign policy in 2021, which was then refreshed in 2023 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines
The UK will build up to 12 new attack submarines, the prime minister will announce as the government unveils its major defence review on Monday. The review is expected to recommend the armed forces move to "warfighting readiness" to deter growing threats faced by the UK. Sir Keir Starmer will say up to 12 conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines will replace the UK's current fleet from the late 2030s onwards. The prime minister is also expected to confirm the UK will spend £15bn on its nuclear warhead programme. Sir Keir will say that, alongside the UK's nuclear-armed submarines, the new vessels would keep "Britain and Nato safe for decades". The Strategic Defence Review, commissioned by Labour, will shape the UK's armed forces for years to come. Led by ex-Labour defence secretary Lord Robertson it will make 62 recommendations, which the government is expected to accept in full. Defence review to send 'message to Moscow', says Healey Healey expects UK to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2034 Other announcements in the review will include: Commitment to £1.5bn to build six new factories to enable an "always on" munitions production capacity Building up to 7,000 long-range weapons including missiles or drones in the UK, to be used by British forces Pledge to set up a "cyber and electromagnetic command" to boost the military's defensive and offensive capabilities in cyberspace Extra £1.5bn to 2029 to fund repairs to military housing £1bn on technology to speed up delivery of targeting information to soldiers Defence Secretary John Healey has signalled he is not aiming to increase the overall size of the Army before the next general election. On Sunday, he said his "first job" was to reverse a decline in numbers with a target to return to a strength of 73,000 full-time soldiers "in the next Parliament". Building the new submarines will support 30,000 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. 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." The Astute class is the Royal Navy's current fleet of attack submarines, which have nuclear-powered engines and are armed with conventional torpedoes and missiles. As well as protecting maritime task groups and gathering intelligence, they protect the Vanguard class of submarines that carry the UK's trident nuclear missiles. In the Astute series, HMS Agamemnon, was launched last October and Agincourt is under construction. The next generation of attack submarines that will replace them, SSN-AUKUS, have been developed with the Australian Navy under a deal agreed in 2023 by the Conservative government. Meanwhile work on modernising the warheads carried by Trident Missiles is already under way. The £15bn investment into the warhead programme will back the government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent. In his announcement on Monday, Sir Keir is to repeat a Labour manifesto commitment to deliver the Dreadnought class of nuclear-armed submarines, which are due to replace the ageing Vanguard fleet from the early 2030s onwards. The MoD's Defence Nuclear Enterprise accounts for 20% of its budget and includes the cost of building four Dreadnought class submarines. Commitments on military spending come against the background of the government's wider review of departmental spending due later this month and have also taken on renewed importance given the Ukraine war, and pressure from Nato and US President Donald Trump for European countries to step up defence spending. Sir Keir has committed the government to spending 2.5% of the UK's national income on defence by 2027, up from 2.3%, but has faced pressure to commit to 3%. Healey said the target will be hit by 2034 but the Conservatives say the threshold should be hit earlier. The Liberal Democrats have also argued for a 3% spending target. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said Labour's review should be "taken with a pinch of salt" unless the government showed there would be enough money to pay for it. Head of NATO, Mark Rutte has called on allies to spend 3.5% of its GDP on defence, with a further 1.5% on defence related expenditure. The government has said it wants Britain to be the leading European nation within the NATO alliance but that might prove difficult when a significant number of allies exceed the UK's military spending. It says its review will reverse decades of underinvestment in Britain's armed forces. But it remains to be seen if the investment will be enough. The ambitions of past defence reviews have rarely been matched by resources.
