Government launches root and branch review of UK Armed Forces

Homeland July 31, 2024

Review has been commissioned by the Prime Minister, will be overseen by the Defence Secretary John Healey, and headed by Lord Robertson – reporting in the first half of 2025.

It is to be Britain’s review – not just the Government’s – so will consult serving military, veterans, MPs of all parties, industry, and academia.

A root and branch review of UK defence has been launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer today to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad for decades to come.

The Strategic Defence Review will be delivered at pace and report in the first half of 2025, with work starting immediately in recognition of the urgency of the threats facing the UK. It comes as the Defence Secretary John Healey argues that “at the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. The Review will strengthen the foundations for this new mission-driven Government.”

With a new era requiring a new type of review, the Strategic Defence Review will be headed by three external Reviewers in a first-of-its-kind for UK defence:

Lord Robertson – Former Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General (Review lead)
Dr Fiona Hill CMG – Foreign policy expert and former US presidential advisor
General Sir Richard Barrons – Former Commander Joint Forces Command and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff

The Reviewers will be supported by a Defence Review Team of senior high level experts from inside and outside Government and will engage widely across the defence community. Submissions will be invited until the end of September from serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, the defence industry, the general public, academics, Parliament, and our closest allies and partners, especially in NATO.

Today’s announcement is the next step following a successful NATO Summit in Washington, where the Prime Minister reaffirmed his “serious commitment” to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence and to the Alliance.

Amid war in Europe after Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and global threats increasing, the review will consider the threats Britain faces, the capabilities needed to meet them, the state of UK armed forces and the resources available. It will ensure a ‘NATO-first’ policy is at the heart of Britain’s defence plans.

Defence Secretary, John Healey will oversee the Review and the Reviewers will regularly update him, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor on progress. The Defence Review Team will be supported by a Secretariat from the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure.

“I promised the British people I would deliver the change needed to take our country forward, and I promised action not words. That’s why one of my first acts since taking office is to launch our Strategic Defence Review. We will make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected, that defence spending is responsibly increased, and that our country has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK’s resilience for the long term.”

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “At the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. Hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue. Meanwhile, we need to be clear eyed about the threats we face, with the world becoming more volatile and technology changing the nature of warfare.

“In response, our armed forces need to be better ready to fight, more integrated and more innovative. We need clearer accountability, faster delivery, less waste and better value for money.

“The Review will ensure that Defence is central to the future security of Britain and to its economic growth and prosperity.

“This new era requires a new type of review that moves at pace. The Prime Minister and I will therefore draw on both external military, industrial and foreign policy experts, and those from inside Government, to help set the path for Britain’s defence for the next decade. Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”

Lead Reviewer Lord Robertson of Port Ellen said: “Twenty-five years after the armed forces restructuring in 1998, it is an honour to lead a review overseen by John Healey, to help shape our military for the new century.

“The world is a more dangerous place and to combat the evolving threat we need a new approach. We also will need a new type of Review, which delivers quickly but also includes the views and voices of those from all parties, all parts of the defence family and a spectrum of our partners and allies.

The Strategic Defence Review will seek to:

Put personnel across defence at the heart of future defence work. *Ensure that the UK continues to lead in NATO.
Strengthen UK homeland security.
Bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
Modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent.
Adapt military services and equipment programmes to meet requirements.
Help drive the guiding principle of One Defence

Our Armed Forces continue to stand ready to defend the UK and protect our interests at home and abroad – whether through around-the-clock nuclear submarine patrols, quick-reaction fighter jets prepared to swiftly launch 24/7 or thousands of soldiers deploying on international exercises. And Britain’s defence depends on tens of thousands of others out of uniform in government, industry and wider society.

However, threats to our safety and security have multiplied and diversified in recent years, including greater conventional threats, cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns, requiring an in-depth look, conducted at pace, at how we can best meet those evolving threats.

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