Britain plans a new fleet of attack submarines, a £15 billion overhaul of its nuclear weaponry and a “home guard” volunteer force to protect infrastructure such as airports, as UK prime minister Keir Starmer promised to get his nation ready for war.
The promise came as the British government on Monday published a strategic defence review (SDR) led by former Nato chief George Robertson. It said Britain must prepare to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic and made sweeping recommendations to upgrade its forces.
“We are moving to warfighting readiness,” said Mr Starmer, as he launched his government’s response to the SDR on Monday morning at a Glasgow shipyard, in advance of the formal publication of the document in Westminster later in the afternoon.
“The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War,” the prime minister told Britons, as he cited potential threats from Russia, cyber attacks and “new nuclear risks”.
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Mr Robertson, meanwhile, warned the “only effective, affordable” option for Britain was to stick with a “Nato-first” approach, despite worries within the US-led military alliance that Washington’s commitment could wane under president Donald Trump.
The SDR, which was ordered by the UK’s Labour government when it took power 11 months ago, made more than 60 recommendations to counter a “new era of threat” for Britain. It cited an “immediate and pressing” danger from Russia and the “sophisticated and persistent challenge” posed by China.
As part of its response to the threats outlined in the review, the UK government has promised to build a dozen nuclear-powered, conventionally armed attack submarines that would begin to enter service from the late 2030s. Its current fleet of nine submarines includes five attack vessels, but some of these are due to exit service.
It is believed that Britain may also seek to acquire fighter jets capable of firing nuclear weapons from the sky; its current nuclear arsenal is sea-based. The shift to jets was not detailed in the report but was briefed to some UK media by officials in Westminster.
The SDR also recommended further investment in drone attack technology, as well as a volunteer force to protect against aerial attack by enemy drones in Britain. The UK is also believed to be planning fresh investment in its missile defence systems.
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At a briefing for journalists in Westminster, a spokesman for 10 Downing Street said Britain was not planning to bring back military conscription, after reporters queried remarks by Mr Starmer for “every part of society” to get involved in protecting Britain. The spokesman said the prime minister meant there should be a “whole of society” approach involving, for example, British scientists and engineers to boost innovation.
The focus on the SDR chimed with a growing sense of anxiety in Britain over the military threats its government believes the nation faces. The Conservatives and even the Liberal Democrats have criticised the Labour government for not acting with sufficient urgency to rebuild the UK’s armed forces.
Hovering over the debate, however, are growing fiscal restraints that threaten to hobble the Labour government’s plans to renew the UK’s public services.
Britain currently spends 2.3 per cent of its GDP on defence, and has promised to boost this to 2.5 per cent by 2027/28. Mr Starmer has stated an aspiration to boost this further to 3 per cent by the end of the next parliament – an aim that the SDR suggested was essential to “establish the affordability” of the recommendations in the review.
The London-based Institute of Fiscal Studies, however, suggested that “chunky” tax rises would be necessary to meet those commitments, which some of the UK’s Nato allies in Europe have already hinted may not be enough.
