LONDON — The United Kingdom is poised for a substantial escalation in defense expenditure, marking the most significant enhancement since the Cold War concluded, in a demonstrative show towards Moscow, according to the British defense secretary on Sunday.
John Healey articulated that the Labour administration’s current defense financial plans are anticipated to sufficiently rejuvenate the nation’s military forces after extensive periods of financial cutbacks. Nonetheless, he foresees that an increase in troop numeracy, now at historically low figures, will not manifest until the early 2030s.
He emphasized that ambitions to elevate defense spending to 2.5% of the country’s GDP by 2027, equating to an approximate annual rise of 13 billion pounds ($17 billion), remain firmly on track. Healey expressed confidence that by the subsequent parliament in the early 2030s, this figure will climb to 3%.
On Monday, the government is set to address a comprehensive strategic defense evaluation managed by Healey and spearheaded by Lord George Robertson, a former NATO secretary general and defense secretary during a previous Labour tenure.
This examination is anticipated to represent the most influential review since the Soviet Union’s collapse in the 1990s, issuing recommendations to tackle contemporary threat landscapes both in military capacity and cyber arenas.
The U.K., like fellow NATO allies, has felt an intensified need to reassess its defense budget following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“This is a message to Moscow,” Healey conveyed to the BBC. “This represents the U.K.’s commitment to strengthening our armed forces and industrial base, thereby elevating our readiness to engage in combat if necessary.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently urged NATO counterparts to amplify their defense investments. Recent months have seen a concerted push from European nations, spearheaded by the U.K. and France, to align their defensive stances as Trump reconfigures American foreign affairs, appearing to diminish Europe’s involvement as he aspires to conclude the Ukraine war. Trump has persistently criticized NATO’s worth and lamented that the U.S. provides security to European nations not contributing their fair share.
Healey also highlighted that the U.K. faces daily cyber intrusions from Russia, underscoring approximately 90,000 state-linked cyberattacks targeting the U.K.’s defense over recent years. A dedicated cyber command to counter these threats is a prospective feature of the review.
“The tensions are greater but we prepare for war in order to secure the peace,” he stated. “If you’re strong enough to defeat an enemy, you deter them from attacking in the first place.”
During his visit to a missile production facility on Saturday, where Storm Shadow missiles are crafted, Healey pledged government backing for acquiring up to 7,000 domestically produced long-range weapons. This commitment comes alongside a projection that U.K. munitions spending will hit 6 billion pounds over coming years.
“Six billion over the next five years in factories like this which allow us not only to produce munitions that equip our forces for the future but also to create jobs across the U.K.,” he conveyed.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary from the main opposition Conservative Party, expressed approval of the government’s increased defense spending pledge but conveyed doubts about Treasury’s delivery. He urged the government to adopt more ambitious targets, proposing an increase in defense budget to 3% of GDP within the current parliamentary term, set to continue until 2029.
“We think that 2034 is a long time to wait, given the gravity of the situation,” he relayed to Sky News.