Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled the UK‘s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, setting out the government’s blueprint for modernising Britain’s armed forces while facing criticism that the package has arrived too late and falls short of what the military requires.
The Defence Investment Plan outlines how the government intends to invest in military capabilities over the coming years, with a strong focus on advanced technology, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. The plan includes a £5 billion investment aimed at expanding drone and autonomous warfare capabilities.
The Royal Navy is expected to develop a Hybrid Navy, combining traditional warships with autonomous vessels and AI-powered technology. Plans include new uncrewed missile platforms designed to strengthen the fleet’s firepower and improve operational capabilities.
The announcement comes after months of delays. The government published its Strategic Defence Review more than a year ago, but the accompanying Defence Investment Plan, which sets out how those ambitions would be funded, was repeatedly postponed.
Opposition parties have criticised both the delay and the level of investment. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey described the plan as “too little, too late”, arguing that it leaves Britain’s armed forces without the level of funding needed to address growing security threats.
Davey said the government had “dangerously short-changed” the military at a time when urgent investment is required after years of underfunding, warning that the delayed and underfunded plan risks weakening national security and defence supply chains.
The Defence Investment Plan is one of Starmer’s final major policy announcements before he leaves office, following his decision to step down as Prime Minister. The government hopes the strategy will provide greater certainty for the UK’s defence sector ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.