The UK government's long-awaited defence investment plan, set to be published on Tuesday, will not be enough to adequately prepare the country for war, according to a military expert who helped draft the government's own defence review. General Sir Richard Barrons, co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, stated that the plan is 'not going to crack the issue' of properly funding the nation's armed forces.
Key Details of the Defence Investment Plan
The defence investment plan (Dip) includes an additional £15 billion for defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described it as 'game-changing investment' in drones and other modern equipment. However, the plan was originally due last year but was delayed due to Whitehall disputes over funding, which led to the resignation of then-defence secretary John Healey.
Sir Richard acknowledged that the publication of the Dip represents progress and includes a 'decent transformative element.' Nonetheless, he emphasized that it falls short of what is needed. 'It is still not going to crack the issue of, in order to defend the UK sufficiently well, sufficiently quickly, more has to be done sooner, and that requires more money than is currently on the table,' he told the BBC.
Expert Concerns and Comparisons
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Richard warned: 'We're not keeping up with our allies, we're certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the US is no longer going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat. So until we come to terms with the fact that we have to find more money for defence sooner, and yes, it will be at the cost of other things we like more, we are simply not going to be ready to defend this country properly.'
John Healey resigned in protest, warning that the Dip would likely fail to meet Britain's commitments to NATO, which requires member states to increase core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip now focuses on ramping up the UK's use of drones and autonomous weapons, backed by a £5 billion investment announced by the Ministry of Defence.
Funding and Future Outlook
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the full settlement amounts to around £15 billion, up from the £13.5 billion offered to Healey but still short of the £28 billion that defence officials previously said was necessary. In a major speech at a defence firm on Tuesday, Sir Keir is expected to outline how the Dip will accelerate Britain's drone capabilities, drawing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and Iran where such technology has been widely used.
The Prime Minister stated ahead of the launch: 'This game-changing investment will strengthen our armed forces on land, at sea and in the air, ensuring our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe. At the same time, we are backing British innovation, British industry and British jobs and delivering opportunity to every corner of the country. 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.'
