- £2.5 billion additional investment in our stockpiles to
improve fighting readiness
- A UK Global Response Force will enable forces to ‘get there
first’
- Greater focus on science and technology to gain the edge on
the battlefield
The Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCP23), which will be
published today (18 July), takes learnings from the war in
Ukraine – and wider threats to our security – and sets out a plan
to deliver a credible warfighting force that will keep us on
track to act as a global heavyweight both now and in the future.
It follows the publication of the Integrated Review
Refresh earlier this year, which identified Russia as the
most acute threat to our security, recognised China as a
long-term systemic challenge, and predicted a more adversarial
international system.
The DCP23 outlines how the British Armed Forces will modernise
and adapt to the changing global picture and, in particular, we
will prioritise investment in science and technology to ensure we
have a force greater than the sum of our parts.
It sets out:
- An additional £2.5 billion investment into our stockpiles and
munitions, on top of the increased investment committed at the
Autumn Statement;
- A Global Response Force that enables the UK to ‘get there
first’, bringing together our deployed and high-readiness forces,
and drawing on capabilities from all domains;
- How Defence will become a science and technology superpower,
enhancing our capabilities in fields such as robotics, human
augmentation, directed energy weapons and advanced materials, to
gain the edge on the battlefield;
- An improved surge capacity through our Strategic Reserve,
built around the ex-regular reserve forces to add further depth
and expertise in time of crisis;
- A new alliance with industry, engaging much earlier in
strategic conversations and building in greater financial
headroom to respond to changing needs;
- A new employment model and skills framework, increasing
fluidity between the military, the Civil Service and industry,
while offering a more compelling and competitive incentivisation
package;
- A further £400 million to modernise accommodation that our
service families deserve, which is essential for the operational
effectiveness of our personnel.
Defence Secretary, said:
We must adapt and modernise to meet the threats we face, taking
in the lessons from President Putin’s unprovoked invasion of
Ukraine.
This Defence Command Paper will sharpen our strategic approach –
ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of military capability,
and a leading power in NATO.
Since the Defence Command Paper 2021 was published, the UK has
led the way in Europe on support for Ukraine’s defence and
remained a leading contributor to NATO, consistently meeting the
commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on Defence and moving
towards 2.5%.
In the last two years, the world has changed and the threats and
challenges we face have evolved, including Russia’s full-scale
invasion of Ukraine.
Our Armed Forces are central to protecting the UK around the
clock and when global security is challenged, we have seen the
effect it can have on our economic security. With a more
campaigning approach to global competition, the DCP23 will
support the Prime Minister’s priorities of growing the economy
and reducing inflation.
The recent increased investment of £5 billion at the Spring
Budget allows the Ministry of Defence to plan ahead, with the
Defence budget – for the first time – over £50 billion a year.
The certainty over an increased budget will support greater
integration between government and UK industry, which is
fundamental to sustaining the fighting force, developing and
exploiting new technologies, and producing the equipment we need
to sustain the fight.
Minister for the Armed Forces, said:
Our people and their expertise are at the heart of what we do,
underpinning our strategic advantage across all domains and
delivering a force that deters against threats and defends our
homeland and those of our Allies.
We also recognise that to maintain advantage over adversaries we
have to do things differently, responding to rapidly evolving
geopolitical, technological and economic threats, learning
lessons from Ukraine, and championing closer integration with our
Allies and partners.
This Defence Command Paper sets out how we’ll do this –
prioritising investment in replenishment, modernising our forces
and embodying a fully integrated approach to deterrence and
defence.
DCP23 is broken down into a number of chapters based on
priorities, including, People; Science, Innovation and
Technology; Industry; Productivity; Deterrence and Defence;
Campaigning and Global Competition; Strength through our
Partnerships; Strategic Resilience.
