UK Announces Defense Investment Plan: Aims to Prioritize £5 Billion for Drone Development

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] Reuters reported on June 30 that the UK announced its "long-awaited" defense investment plan on the same day. The plan proposes to prioritize an investment of £5 billion in the drone sector, with a focus on autonomous systems. Previously, the UK Ministry of Defence and the Treasury had debated for months on how to fill an anticipated funding gap of up to £28 billion. The recently resigned Defence Secretary Ben Wallace accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to raise the funds necessary to ensure national security.

Starmer's defense plan focuses on attack drones, autonomous fighter jets, as well as unmanned surface vessels and submarines. According to the new defense investment plan, the original proposal to replace aging destroyers will be abandoned in favor of procuring at least six "general-purpose combat ships" to serve as control hubs for unmanned systems.

According to the UK Defence Journal, Starmer stated, "This game-changing investment will enhance the capabilities of the Army, Navy, and Air Force." The new UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps described unmanned systems as a "decisive factor" in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, while stating that this funding represents the largest investment the UK has made in this field to date. He also mentioned that unmanned systems are defining modern warfare, and the defense investment plan he has helped reshape in recent weeks will ensure that soldiers receive the necessary technology more quickly.

Reuters noted that this defense investment plan was delayed for about nine months before its announcement, with critics questioning whether the UK has the willingness or capability to increase defense spending. Senior UK defense officials indicated that there is a £28 billion funding gap over the next four years, and the plan can only allocate £15 billion.

According to the BBC, Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the defense investment plan "was rushed through because Starmer was eager to leave a political legacy," yet Starmer is currently only a nominal Prime Minister. The Sunday Times reported that Burnham, widely regarded as the likely successor to Starmer as Prime Minister, has seen and approved the defense investment plan, but Downing Street refused to confirm this. The BBC stated that Starmer announced the defense investment plan in the final weeks of his premiership, which could lead to tensions with his successor. (Ren Zhong)