All articles tagged with #defence investment plan
Now chancellor, John Healey must deliver on his defence funding promises after resigning as defence secretary over Treasury constraints and a delayed, underfunded Defence Investment Plan; reaching 3% of GDP by 2030 would require about £17.3bn more annually (roughly £90bn defence budget by 2030), risking tax rises or new funding methods as key programmes like drones and long-range weapons remain underfunded.
Britain's RAF has launched an unmanned collaborative combat aircraft programme, StormFighter, backed by GBP300 million in the Defence Investment Plan to become Europe’s first sixth‑generation air force, with guardian angel and attack dog drones set to operate alongside Typhoon, F-35 and Tempest as BAE Systems and Boeing are among early bidders.
Japan, Italy and the UK awarded Edgewing an £4.6 billion 18‑month development contract to push the GCAP sixth‑generation fighter toward a 2035 delivery, following a stop‑gap funding and backed by an £8.6 billion Defence Investment Plan; Edgewing includes BAE Systems, Leonardo and JAIEC, with further contracts to tri‑nation teams for electronics and propulsion and the Farnborough airshow on the horizon.
Britain’s Defence Investment Plan outlines four new platform types—two UUVs (Type 92 and the large Type 93 XL UUV) to bolster underwater sensing and ASW, plus Type 94 and Type 91 uncrewed platforms for sensing and missiles—to underpin a Royal Navy hybrid force and its Atlantic Fleet concept. The plan, tied to SDR goals and a £5 billion push into autonomous systems, envisions expanding Common Combat Vessels in the 2030s, expanding seabed security and air/ missile defense capabilities, and upgrading naval base infrastructure to improve readiness and deterrence in the underwater domain and beyond.
Britain unveils a defense overhaul inspired by Ukraine, prioritizing drones and autonomous systems over new capital ships, funding six common combat vessels and a national drone program to accelerate rapid battlefield innovation, while aiming to hit NATO spending targets amid funding questions.
The UK will build at least six Common Combat Vessels (CCVs) under the Defence Investment Plan to replace the Type 45 destroyers. These hybrid crewed/uncrewed ships will serve as air-defence hubs for unmanned sensors/weapon platforms, operating with Type 26/31 frigates and future unmanned platforms. The programme includes three Atlantic programmes (Atlantic Bastion/Shield/Strike) to counter regional threats, protect critical infrastructure, and boost UK shipyards and export potential.
Downing Street says the government will press ahead with the controversial Defence Investment Plan and publish it before the NATO summit, despite Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister and Labour leader. The plan’s publication and the broader defence funding package, which has already prompted ministerial resignations, could be revisited by a future leader, complicating the government’s credibility with allies and shaping the response of a coming prime minister.
Britain’s top uniformed defense official, Richard Knighton, warned a House of Lords committee that without additional day-to-day funding, the Ministry of Defence will have to dial back operations, training and exercises. A funding package around £13.5 billion and the Defence Investment Plan aim to support major equipment and NATO commitments, but the plan’s delay leaves a gap. Knighton stressed the need for a clear trajectory to hit NATO’s defense target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035 (with Starmer proposing about 2.68% by 2030), noting that near-term cuts could undermine international operations and the UK’s leadership role in NATO missions. The DIP is expected to outline long-term cuts and capabilities, while analysts say the UK faces a mismatch between ambitious leadership and available resources.
UK’s defence leadership warns that the Defence Investment Plan is underfunded for day-to-day operations and training, risking reduced military readiness unless more funding is provided, as Defence Secretary John Healey resigns and Dan Jarvis reviews how the money will be spent.
Two defence ministers resign over what they see as insufficient funding to meet rising threats and NATO commitments, with a delayed defence investment plan and shrinking budgets threatening procurement, readiness and credibility as the UK confronts a shifting security landscape and prepares for NATO diplomacy.
British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Treasury of underfunding the Defence Investment Plan as threats rise; the DIP aims to lift spending to about 2.68% of GDP by 2030, but Healey says urgent resources are needed in the first two years to boost readiness, and his departure adds pressure on a Labour government already delaying the DIP and the GCAP fighter program.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns resigns after Defence Secretary John Healey quits over the defence investment plan's funding, deepening a rift in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government; Dan Jarvis is appointed new defence secretary as the administration faces funding scrutiny ahead of a Nato summit and by-elections.
Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of offering a defence investment plan that falls short of what the armed forces need, arguing the funding increase of about 0.08% of GDP is insufficient to reach 2.68% by 2030. The move follows bruising budget talks with the chancellor and comes amid a wave of resignations, prompting questions about Starmer’s leadership, even as government aides insist the country remains safer under his approach.
British Defence Secretary John Healey resigns, blasting Keir Starmer and the Treasury for a Defence Investment Plan that he says underfunds the armed forces and would harm readiness; the departure comes as the DIP remains delayed ahead of a by-election, spotlighting Britain’s struggle to meet NATO spending targets and defend the country.
Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned after a clash with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over defence spending, accusing the Treasury of failing to commit the resources needed to defend the country amid rising threats and months of talks on expanding military budgets and the Defence Investment Plan.