Major defence reforms launched

Homeland November 20, 2024

Inquiry launched into procurement and use of armoured fighting vehicles

The biggest reform of the Ministry of Defence in over 50 years to fix what the Public Accounts Committee calls the ‘broken’ defence procurement system and to strengthen UK Defence, has been launched by the Defence Secretary.

It comes amid increasing global threats, with growing Russian aggression and conflict in the Middle East. This requires increased resilience and warfighting readiness.

The Defence Secretary is leading the reforms to create a stronger defence centre which is able to secure better value for money, better outcomes for our Armed Forces, and better implement the Strategic Defence Review which will be published in the first half of next year.

Central to this is the creation of a new role: the fully fledged National Armaments Director. Its aim is to ensure the armed forces are properly equipped to defend Britain, to build up the British defence industry and to crack down on waste. The recruitment process for the role has now begun, with a search for candidates now underway and which will continue over the coming weeks.

The new National Armaments Director will be responsible for:

Delivering the capabilities required from industry to execute the Defence plans and operations demanded by the new era.
Shaping and delivering the Defence industrial strategy which will be launched in the coming weeks.
Ensuring a resilient supply chain and the required readiness of the national ‘arsenal’.
Leading on UK defence exports and acquisition reform.
Harmonising procurement and working closely with wider government, industry, academia, and international partners to deploy best practice and investment.

The changes come as the Defence Secretary commits to ensuring “value for money across every penny of defence spend.”

The reforms will also see the Chief of the Defence Staff overseeing a new Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) where he will formally command the individual Service Chiefs for the first time. They will now be central to investment decisions between the Services, along with the Defence Secretary and Permanent Secretary.

This Government’s MOD reforms will ensure faster delivery and clearer accountability across Defence, to support the Government’s ‘One Defence’ drive. They will also ensure defence is ready to take forward recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, with the new MSHQ fully functioning by the end of 2024 – ready to implement recommendations from the SDR in the first half of next year.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “Our government is delivering the change we promised: cracking down on waste and boosting Britain’s defence industry. We will forge “One Defence”, which is clear in its goals and consistent in its methods, to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

“The world is more dangerous, with growing Russian aggression, conflict in the Middle East and increasing global threats.

“These vital reforms will make UK military decision making faster, keep the country safer and achieve best value for taxpayers. This Government will strengthen UK Defence to respond to increasing threats.”

Defence Equipment & Support CEO and the UK’s current NAD, Andy Start, said: “This fully fledged NAD role is a vitally important step towards transforming defence acquisition and the industrial base in the UK.

“This new role will have the levers needed to ensure our Armed Forces have the right kit and to deliver the defence industrial strategy we need for growth.

“We will work with industrial partners to embrace the One Defence approach so they can play their part in improvements that underpin national security and prosperity.”

The programme of reform will be informed by lessons from the department’s highly praised support to Ukraine. The National Audit Office recently highlighted the speed and scale of the MOD’s Operation Interflex training programme for Ukrainian recruits, as well as fast-tracked procurement and distribution of essential gifted equipment to the Ukrainian front line.

These reforms will radically simplify the MOD. Governance and processes will be streamlined, with innovation in technology and an improved approach to data underpinning everything the department does.

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DE&S National Armaments Director PAC procurement Strategic Defence Review