A long-delayed military spending plan will be published on Tuesday, with Sir Keir Starmer saying it would keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the defence investment plan (DIP) includes £5bn worth of investment to increase the Armed Forces’ use of drones and autonomous weapons.
Earlier this month, the Treasury and No 10 agreed a £13.5bn funding increase, well short of the £28bn the MoD wanted – though new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has pushed for more in recent weeks. His predecessor John Healey resigned over the funding row.
The Conservatives said the plan was “too little, too late”, while the Liberal Democrats said it “dangerously short-changed our Armed Forces”.
Before releasing the DIP, the MoD provided an outline of some of its contents, including:
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The “largest ever drone investment” into the UK Armed Forces – worth £5bn over the next four years to create an “integrated force”
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Plans for the Royal Navy to become a “hybrid navy”, using self-controlled vessels and AI alongside warships and aircraft and funding for six new warships
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The British army will receive £50m funding for drones and to develop uncrewed vehicles
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The Royal Air Force will develop autonomous fighter jets and bring its “uncrewed electronic warfare drone system” into service in 2026
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The DIP will also go towards what the MoD call “Europe’s biggest drone testing centre” – the Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon, which opened in March – as well as a task force for developing autonomous technology
Despite his impending departure from Downing Street, Prime Minister Sir Keir is pushing ahead with the DIP.
Tense Whitehall negotiations over how to fund it have been ongoing for months, with departments across government asked to make cuts.
The row has seen two defence ministers resign over what they said was an inadequate funding increase in the original version of the plan.
The DIP will also explain how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade.
It was initially expected to be published in autumn 2025. Following months of talks over funding, the DIP now arrives shortly before the Nato leaders summit in Turkey on 7 July.
Earlier this month, Healey quit the government, saying the DIP fell “well short” of what is needed to protect the UK and meet existing spending commitments, while Armed Forces Minister Al Carns quit saying it was not “transformative enough” in the face of rapidly-evolving warfare.
It has been reported Jarvis has secured some extra money for the plan. He has has also spent the last two weeks “refocusing” the DIP to take on more of the lessons from Ukraine and Iran, the MoD said.
This includes how drones have been used to destroy high-value targets, with Jarvis saying the “character of warfare is rapidly changing”.
He said: “In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts.
“This largest ever UK investment into these evolving technologies will help our Armed Forces stay ahead of our adversaries, backed by the best of our defence industry.”
The Ministry of Defence has said plans to replace ageing warship will be scrapped in favour of building at least six new modern “hybrid” vessels equipped to deploy drones.
Sir Keir said there would be “game-changing investment” to strengthen the Armed Forces on land, at sea and in the air.
He said: “Today’s defence investment plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future.”
His remarks come after unions and defence firms warned the continued delays to the DIP were a “threat” to British jobs, skills and national security.