GLASGOW, June 3 (Alliance News): Britain announced plans to build 12 new attack submarines as part of a major Strategic Defence Review aimed at shifting the country to “war-fighting readiness” in response to Russian aggression and evolving global threats.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while launching the review in Glasgow, warned that the threat landscape was more serious than at any time since the Cold War. He said the UK now faces war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyberattacks, and Russian provocations in British waters and airspace.
The review sets out three key changes: refocusing the military on readiness for full-scale war, reaffirming NATO as the central pillar of UK defence policy, and rapidly accelerating military innovation, especially in drone warfare and artificial intelligence.
Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament the government would make the British Army “10 times more lethal” by integrating drones and AI with conventional firepower, describing the era as “a new era of threat.”
As part of the AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia, Britain will replace its current Astute-class submarines with 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines beginning in the late 2030s.
The review also includes a £6 billion investment in munitions, £15 billion for nuclear warheads, and plans to build six new weapons factories. A further £1 billion has been allocated to establish a cyber command unit.
The UK aims to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and potentially to 3% by 2029, partly by reducing foreign aid budgets.
The review, led by former NATO chief George Robertson, labeled Russia an “immediate and pressing” threat, while calling China a “sophisticated and persistent challenge.” Starmer’s softer rhetoric on China signals a possible reset in UK-China relations after years of tension.
