HM Government published the report from the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) today, setting out how our Defence community will keep our country safe in the coming years. There is also a big focus on how more involvement from wider society will support the changes needed.
Former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson led the SDR team to ensure independent scrutiny of the UK’s military capabilities. He also set out to identify the changes required to tackle threats “more serious and less predictable than at any time since the Cold War”.
In delivering the report to Parliament the Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon John Healey, said: “The SDR sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence. It will end the hollowing out of the UK’s Armed Forces and lead in a stronger, more lethal NATO. “
Key points emerging from the review are:
- Moving to warfighting readiness—establishing a more lethal ‘integrated force’ equipped for the future, and strengthened homeland defence
- Driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry, radical procurement reforms and backing UK businesses
- Stepping up on European security by leading in NATO, with strengthened nuclear, new tech and updated conventional capabilities
- Innovating based on lessons from Ukraine—harnessing drones, data and digital warfare to make our Armed Forces stronger and safer
- A whole-of-society approach—widening participation in national resilience, and renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve.
You can read a short explanation of those key points by following this link. The full report is available here.
