Starmer increases the United Kingdom’s defense spending

• A 10-year plan has been announced with nearly £300 billion in defense spending over the next four years.
• More than £5 billion will be allocated to drones and autonomous weapons, with funding coming from the reallocation of capital budgets.
• General Richard Barrons said this is insufficient for the country’s full readiness to face threats.

On June 30, Keir Starmer announced a new 10-year defense investment plan under which the United Kingdom will spend nearly £300 billion on modernizing the armed forces over the next four years. The plan also includes the creation of a new £50 billion defense export mechanism to support British companies in the international market.

According to Starmer, annual defense spending is set to rise from £54 billion to nearly £80 billion by 2029. He said the country’s threats are not distant, citing conflicts around the world, the actions of foreign states, and Russian ships that pose a risk to undersea cables.

The plan also provides for more than £5 billion for drones and autonomous weapons, including inexpensive one-way attack drones. The Ministry of Defence said the changes are intended to improve the department’s efficiency and reduce the number of civilian staff.

Funding is planned through the reallocation of capital budgets among government departments. This will involve canceling some road and energy projects that are not considered urgently important, without cutting day-to-day public services.

General Sir Richard Barrons, co-author of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, said the publication of the plan is progress, but it is not enough to properly protect the country. In his view, Britain must find more money for defense faster if it wants to be ready for threats.

Former Defence Secretary John Healey had previously opposed an earlier version of the document, believing it might not meet NATO commitments. The alliance requires members to raise core defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.

Starmer also said that the current program will form the basis for his successor, who will continue these changes.

Tags: USA/Politics/Energy/Aviation