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The United Kingdom will invest an additional £2 billion in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles and will adopt tactics and experience gained during the war in Ukraine. This is stated in the new Strategic Defence Review published by the government, The Guardian reports.
Defence Secretary John Healey said that the British Army will become “ten times more lethal” by combining the latest technologies – including drones and artificial intelligence – with traditional weapons such as tanks and artillery.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, visiting the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow, said: “We have to be able to fight. Defence is not just a priority, it is our duty to the country.” He reiterated his intention to bring defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, although he did not set a final target of 3%.
The review acknowledges that drones have become a key element of modern warfare, and therefore the UK plans to invest heavily in attack and reconnaissance drones, as well as in countermeasures against enemy UAVs.
The document also states that for the first time since the Cold War, the country faces numerous direct threats to its security. As a result, Britain must be prepared to “fight and win”.
