12-05-2025
Defence review labelled a ‘damp squib' after big decisions delayed
A review of the nation's defences has been described as a 'complete damp squib' amid claims that it will lack any detail. The most specific procurement decisions have been delayed until the autumn.
The strategic defence review (SDR), which could be published as soon as next week, is being led by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, a former defence secretary and Nato secretary-general, and Sir Richard Barrons, a retired general. The process is understood to have been fraught with tension, with little meaningful consultation with Britain's senior military chiefs.
Sources close to the Ministry of Defence claim the SDR, will be published 'without any numbers attached to it' and will lack any 'specific detail' with most procurement decisions delayed until October. The government has said
