The UK’s strategic defence review indicates a need for approximately £68bn to modernize its armed forces, emphasizing the integration of drones, AI, and autonomous systems to enhance combat effectiveness. Major investments include £15bn for new nuclear warheads, attack submarines, and F-35 stealth fighters, aiming to achieve a “digital warfighter” capacity while maintaining a target army size of 73,000. However, raising defence spending to 3% of GDP poses significant fiscal challenges, potentially impacting public investment in other areas through 2030.
