The UK Government has released its Strategic Defence Review 2025: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad 2025. In the Introduction to the 143 page report, the Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, states:
My first duty as Prime Minister is to keep the British people safe. That is why national security is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change. In this new era for defence and security, when Russia is waging war on our continent and probing our defences at home, we must meet the danger head on. We must recognise the very nature of warfare is being transformed on the battlefields of Ukraine and adapt our armed forces and our industry to lead this innovation. And we must understand that global instability affects economic security too, driving down growth and driving up the cost of living for working families here at home. That’s why, in one of my first acts as Prime Minister, I launched this Strategic Defence Review, setting the Reviewers the formidable challenge of examining how our nation should meet this moment. The fundamental truth is clear: a step-change in the threats we face demands a step-change in British defence to meet them. We will never gamble with our national security. So I have already acted, announcing the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.
We are delivering our commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, accelerating it to 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. This investment will end the hollowing out of our armed forces and enable the UK to step up, to lead in NATO, and take greater responsibility for our collective self-defence.
But our response cannot be confined to increasing defence spending. We also need to see the biggest shift in mindset in my lifetime: to put security and defence front and centre—to make it the fundamental organising principle of government.
Our experience of the pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of relying on international just-in-time supply chains and required a whole-of-society response. In that spirit, we must drive a new partnership with industry and a radical reform of procurement, creating jobs, wealth, and opportunity in every corner of our country—this is the ‘defence dividend’ which we are determined to seize. It must drive innovation at a wartime pace, making the UK the leading edge of innovation in NATO and equipping our forces with the full range of conventional and technological capabilities. And it must foster a collective national endeavour through which the state, business, and society unite in pursuit of the security of the nation and the prosperity of its people.
This landmark Strategic Defence Review will help to make this a reality. I am very grateful to Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, General Sir Richard Barrons, and Dr Fiona Hill for all their work to lead it. This Government will now drive a national effort to deliver it.
Key Aspects of DSR 2025
Move to warfighting readiness
- ‘New Hybrid Navy’: Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarines, cutting-edge warships and support ships, transformed aircraft carriers, and new autonomous vessels.
- 10x more lethal British Army: Armoured capability, AI, software, long-range weapons, and land drone swarms—and aim to increase full-time troops to at least 76,000 into the next Parliament.
- Next-generation RAF: F-35s, upgraded Typhoons, next-generation fast jets through GCAP, and autonomous fighters.
- Sovereign warhead programme: £15bn this Parliament, supporting 9,000+ jobs.
- Homeland air and missile defence: Up to £1bn new funding.
- New CyberEM Command: Defending Britain from daily attacks in the grey zone.
UK innovation driven by lessons from Ukraine
- World-leading innovation in autonomy: Doubling investment in autonomous systems this Parliament to boost UK export potential.
- New Digital Targeting Web in 2027: Up to £1bn for the digital integration of our Armed Forces.
- New ‘Drone Centre’: Accelerating the use of autonomous systems across our Armed Forces.
Engine for growth
- Munitions: £6bn this Parliament— including £1.5bn in an ‘always on’ pipeline and at least 6 new munitions and energetics factories in the UK, creating 1,000+ jobs.
- Continuous submarine production: Up to 12 conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines through the AUKUS programme.
- UK Defence Innovation: £400m to invest in UK-based companies.
- New Defence Exports Office: Driving exports to our allies and growth at home.
‘NATO First’
- First European hybrid airwings: Transforming our aircraft carriers, combining fast jets, long-range weapons, and drones.
- First European laser directed energy weapon in service: Through nearly £1bn of new funding.
- Greater European deterrence: Up to 7,000 new long-range weapons and supporting around 800 jobs in the UK.
Whole-of-society approach
- Renewal of military accommodation: At least £7bn this Parliament, with £1.5bn+ new investment to fix forces family housing.
- More opportunities for young people: Delivering a 30% increase in cadets by 2030 and introducing a voluntary ‘Gap Year’ scheme.
- Whole-of-society approach: A new UK Strategic Reserve by 2030 and the Navy taking a leading role in protecting undersea infrastructure.
- New Defence Readiness Bill: Legislating to improve national preparedness.
The document can be downloaded here.
