Britain Bets on Drones and a Hybrid Navy in DIP Preview

Britain’s Defence Investment Plan preview signals a pivot to hybrid and unmanned warfare, with £5 billion earmarked for a drone transformation, at least six Common Combat Vessels to act as hubs for aerial, surface, and underwater drones, and a new Collaborative Combat Air programme for autonomous fighters flying alongside crewed jets, along with a broad push to develop inexpensive autonomous systems for land, sea, and air; the plan also includes a £15 billion uplift in defense funding amid political reshuffles.