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 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 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.
