- The UK government has unveiled a new Defence Investment Plan (DIP), committing an additional £15bn in funding and aiming to spend 2.7 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, with an ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament.
- The plan includes £11bn in efficiency savings by 2029, achieved through civilian workforce changes, infrastructure reforms, and acquisition process improvements, alongside the scrapping of older equipment like Storm Shadow missiles and some military helicopters.
- Key investments within the DIP include over £5bn for drone transformation, funding for a 'hybrid' Royal Navy with autonomous vessels, more than £8bn for the Global Combat Air Programme, and increased spending on the nuclear deterrent, totalling around £64bn.
- John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary over military funding, criticised the plan, stating that 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2030 is insufficient given NATO warnings, and urged a target date for 3 per cent spending and a credible plan for 3.5 per cent by 2035.
- Concerns have been raised about the long-term certainty of the funding commitments, particularly as Sir Keir Starmer is expected to leave office soon, with no guarantee that the next prime minister will uphold the defence spending priorities.
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