Yesterday, the UK government announced an unprecedented additional increase in its defense budget totaling £75 billion for the next six years. This significant step, announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunat during his visit to Poland, takes into account current threats and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
To date, this has been the largest budget increase since the Cold War, progressively rising to reach £87 billion by the end of 2030, representing 2.5% of GDP. Therefore, by the end of the decade, around £22 billion per year will be spent on defense, more than of double what was spent in 2010. It is worth noting that the United Kingdom has increased its defense budget by £41 billion since 2019.
Furthermore, it has been mentioned that the increase takes into account long-term support for Ukraine, whom the Prime Minister pledged to assist for as long as necessary at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Alongside this commitment, the largest military donation in UK history was announced, along with the dispatch of £500 million to aid Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Beyond the war effort, the allocation of the budget will significantly bolster the UK’s Armed Forces in various aspects, ensuring that 5% is earmarked for research and development to leverage new technologies, from directed energy weaponry to artificial intelligence, as explained by the Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield and UK Secretary of State for Defense on their social media platforms.
In this context, participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the development of the conflict in the Middle East are evident. Regarding this, the official statement from the British government points out that Russia, Iran, and China are increasingly collaborating to weaken democracies and reshape the world order. It further adds that these countries have been heavily investing in their armed forces, cyber capabilities, and low-cost technologies, such as the Shahed attack drones launched by Iran towards Israel weeks ago.
“Not only will we maximize every pound spent on defense with a reformed procurement model, but we will also put our defense industry on a war footing (…) We will double our spending on ammunition with a new £10 billion strategy to rearm Britain,” added the Member of Parliament.
Lastly, the MP also emphasized that this new step reflects to the UK’s adversaries the strength of its capabilities and hinted at the presentation of a new National Defense and Resistance Plan. On the other hand, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, stated: “Today is a turning point for European security and a historic moment in the defense of the United Kingdom. It is a generational investment in British security and prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad.”
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