UK to spend more on defence, submarines, warheads to signal Moscow.
The UK is set to increase its submarine production and enhance its warhead expenditure as a clear signal to Moscow. The UK aims to convey a “message to Moscow” through its plans to enhance its fleet of attack submarines and bolster its nuclear deterrent, as part of a revised defence strategy designed to counter the challenges presented by Russia.
On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is set to announce a £15 billion ($20 billion) investment in its warhead programme, which includes the construction of up to 12 new submarines as part of the AUKUS initiative in collaboration with the US and Australia. This move aims to enhance Britain’s “warfighting readiness,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence on Sunday. The expanded fleet is set to succeed the UK’s Astute Class submarines, albeit not until the late 2030s, it stated.
Defense Secretary John Healey informed the BBC that Monday’s strategic defence review — which will delineate the threats confronting Britain and propose measures to address them — will convey a “message to Moscow” by enhancing the UK’s military and defense industry capabilities. “We know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression,” Healey stated in a declaration. “With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
The UK is set to construct six new munitions factories to establish a “always on” industrial production, procure up to 7,000 long-range missiles, and allocate resources towards enhancing its cybersecurity and stockpiles of support equipment. Healey informed Sky News that new factories will be constructed “very soon.” “This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required,” he conveyed to the BBC in a separate interview on Sunday.
Nonetheless, he stated that the goal of allocating 3 per cent of gross domestic product to defence following the next election is still a “ambition” and that he does not foresee advancements in increasing the number of soldiers in the British army until the subsequent parliament. Opposition parties, comprising the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, have asserted that the government must achieve the spending target ahead of the year 2034.
Monday’s review follows a phase of insufficient investment in the nation’s defense sector, resulting in the UK army reaching its smallest size since the Napoleonic era. An end to the so-called “peace dividend” will exert additional pressure on the country’s already strained public finances, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves prepares to reveal departments’ budget settlements during the multi-year spending review on June 11. Increased military expenditure arises amidst various competing demands on public finances, ranging from healthcare to corrections. “All of Labour’s Strategic Defence Review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them,” stated James Cartlidge, the Conservative Party’s Shadow Defence Secretary.
The Sunday Times has indicated that the Labour government is seeking to procure American-made fighter jets that possess the capability to carry tactical nuclear weapons. The review is set to propose new defensive shields aimed at safeguarding the nation from enemy missiles, in addition to the reestablishment of a civilian home guard, as indicated in the report. The alteration in Britain’s military stance occurs concurrently with US President Donald Trump urging NATO allies to augment their defense expenditures. Shortly after Trump assumed the presidency in January, Starmer declared a pledge to increase defense expenditure to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, up from the current 2.3 percent.
Moscow initiated one of its most extensive drone and missile assaults on Kyiv this weekend, while Ukrainian drones targeted multiple strategic airfields in Russia, heightening tensions ahead of critical discussions in Istanbul on Monday intended to achieve a ceasefire in the protracted conflict.
