PLAN “WILL STRENGTHEN BRITAIN’S DEFENCE”
“When the world is arming and aggression is rising, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it, the best way to defend is to deter – to have the strength to make your adversaries to think again before they act,” Starmer told an audience at a defence company in southern England.
Starmer said his blueprint would offer funding of £5 billion for investment in drones and autonomous weapons, create a hybrid navy and make the army more lethal, as part of a plan to make Britain war-ready, especially when military officials have warned that Russia could attack a NATO country as soon as 2030.
It would also strengthen Britain’s nuclear deterrent and bolster a programme to build a next-generation stealth fighter jet for the Royal Air Force, Starmer said, adding that would create jobs and boost growth.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also welcomed Britain’s plan, saying it was a “good step towards reaching the 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence agreed in The Hague last year”.
Britain’s biggest defence company, BAE Systems, which has UK sales of more than £8 billion annually, said the plan provided clarity to the industry.
“The government’s commitment to increased defence spending is vital to sustaining the specialist skills across our industrial base critical to national security,” BAE CEO Charles Woodburn said.