UK launches strategic defence review to bolster national security

In a landmark speech at the historic Govan shipyard, Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally launched the UK’s Strategic Defence Review, positioning national defence not just as a military imperative but as a catalyst for economic regeneration, industrial growth, and societal unity.

Speaking against the backdrop of the partially constructed Type 26 frigates, the Prime Minister outlined an ambitious and sweeping overhaul of the UK’s defence posture one that aims to make Britain “battle-ready, armour-clad,” and a global leader in security innovation, while creating thousands of new jobs.

“Nothing works unless we all work together,” the Prime Minister declared, a refrain he said he heard repeatedly from crew members during a recent visit aboard a Vanguard-class submarine. “That is the spirit we need.”

Key Announcements from the Review:

Largest defence spending increase since the Cold War: The UK will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, with a target of reaching 3 per cent in the next Parliament, subject to fiscal conditions.

Six new munitions factories: To be constructed across the UK, these facilities are expected to generate over 1,000 jobs.

Thousands of long-range weapons: British-built systems will strengthen European deterrence and create another 800 jobs.

Expansion of shipbuilding and submarine production: Under the AUKUS alliance, the UK will deliver up to 12 attack submarines, with new investments at the Barrow shipyards and supply chains nationwide. The goal is to deliver one new submarine every 18 months.

£15 billion investment in nuclear warhead programme: This will support 9,000 direct jobs and thousands more indirectly, securing the UK’s nuclear deterrent for decades.

New Royal Navy hybrid force: Combining traditional warships with advanced drones and AI-driven capabilities to enhance operations in the North Atlantic and beyond.

Modernisation of Armed Forces: Focus on readiness, lethality, and integration – including the largest Armed Forces pay rise in 20 years and a pledge to end the “hollowing out” of military capability.

Defence as national renewal: The government pledged to harness defence investment as a “defence dividend”  reviving industrial towns, boosting innovation, and driving up skills and jobs in communities across the UK.

The Prime Minister outlined three core shifts in strategy:

Warfighting readiness is the armed forces’ central purpose.

A “NATO first” policy to reaffirm Britain’s commitment to collective defence.

A wartime pace of innovation, integrating AI, drones, cyber capabilities, and next-generation hardware for a military “ten times more lethal” by 2035.

The Review was led by a panel of experts, including former NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson, and has been completed within weeks of the new government taking office.

The Prime Minister warned that the UK faces the most serious threat environment since the Cold War – with war in Europe, cyber attacks, nuclear risks, and increasing Russian aggression. The Review, he said, is the UK’s response to this shifting security landscape: “We will never gamble with our national security.”

The speech repeatedly emphasised a spirit of shared responsibility. From shipyard workers and submarine crews to engineers, scientists, and citizens, the Prime Minister called on all sectors of society to play a role in safeguarding Britain’s future.

“This is a new contract to unite the Kingdom,” he said. “A new spirit of service – from the supply lines to the front lines – securing growth for generations to come.”

The Strategic Defence Review marks a pivot in UK defence policy from post-Cold War retrenchment to robust investment. It signals that defence is no longer seen in isolation but as a national economic strategy combining hard power with job creation, technological advancement, and regional development.

Critics may scrutinise the feasibility of the government’s ambitious timelines and spending targets, particularly given fiscal pressures. But supporters argue that such investments are necessary in an era of growing geopolitical volatility.

One thing is clear: Britain’s defence strategy is no longer just about defence it’s about national renewal.