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Strategic Defence Review: A New Permissive Environment for Defence Procurement

June 3rd 2025

Yesterday’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) had been a long time coming. Commissioned nearly a year ago as a “root and branch review” of the UK’s armed forces, the announcement underscores Keir Starmer’s ambition to overhaul the State’s delivery capacity. Emphasising that the review was intended to ensure the transition to “war-fighting readiness” in a time of global uncertainty, the Prime Minister has thrown his support behind large-scale reform and investment aimed at modernizing the UK's military capabilities, while reinforcing our international commitments to NATO. While there is widespread support for the tone and aims of the announcement, it was not without its critics over a perceived absence of funding details and lack of clarity on some targets.

The review, presented by an independent panel including Lord Robertson, Dr Fiona Hill, and General Richard Barrons, contains 62 recommendations, all of which Starmer has accepted. These span a wide range of issues, from new munitions factories and submarines to cyber resilience and military housing. Taken together, they signal that, for the first time in at least twenty years, there is a new permissive environment for defence procurement in the UK.

The caveat, of course, is that while there were significant promises on funding and on shortening timelines, details on these were decidedly murky.

Many of the SDR’s announcements had been trailed for weeks, if not months; the Government revealed in February that spending in the sector would rise to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027. However, pressure still remains over the date at which the holy grail of 3% will be reached – something Defence Secretary John Healey MP has said will happen “no doubt” before 2034.

The Prime Minister and his team are well aware of the economic and electoral traps they will walk into if they promise to reach this figure at a specific date, but appearing to make unfunded promises is also a risk in itself. Seeming to ‘kick the can down the road’ on funding is at odds with the well-founded urgency which set the tone for the Prime Minister’s speech, while targets such as ‘up to 12’ new attack submarines could uncharitably be interpreted as being likely to end up at the lower end of that scale.

Speaking at BAE Systems' shipyard in Govan, Glasgow, Starmer also championed the so called “defence dividend,” the economic boost expected from increased defence spending. Citing the 10,000 jobs six new munitions factories and a £15bn boost in the UK’s Sovereign Warhead Programme would create, Starmer clearly sees the sector as vital part of his mission towards growth and increased industrial capacity. Framing the spending boost as “military Keynesianism”, he’s also keen to ward off those to his left who have complained ahead of next week’s spending review that he and the Chancellor are not being bold enough on spending.

Starmer framed yesterday’s review as positioning the UK as the fastest military innovator in the world. Recognising that changing threats – particularly in cyber and from Russia – had warped traditional notions of national security he added that “the front line, if you like, is here”. To this end, he focused less on traditional ‘boots on the ground’ and instead promised the creation of a cyber command to lead offensive cyber operations as well as a re-established Home Guard to protect critical infrastructure. Alongside new money, the Prime Minister has endorsed the most radical shake-up of defence governance in a generation, abolishing the Levene reforms, cutting procurement timelines, and establishing a Military Strategic HQ with direct authority over service chiefs.

Internationally, the review marks a clear reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to NATO and multilateral defence cooperation. In an era where scepticism toward international institutions is gaining traction, particularly on the political right, Starmer has doubled down on alliance-based security. His embrace of NATO, reinforced by recent moves toward deeper European defence integration, draws a sharp contrast with the isolationist rhetoric of figures like Nigel Farage. Yet this alignment comes with diplomatic nuance: while strengthening ties with European allies, the Prime Minister must also navigate the sensitivities of the transatlantic relationship, ensuring that Britain’s strategic pivot doesn’t unsettle Washington.

The government is focused on demonstrating its seriousness about delivery and reform. As seen across other departments undergoing transformation, the SDR is designed to make the armed forces more integrated, agile, and technologically advanced. If implemented effectively, it will not only modernise the UK’s armed forces, but also reinforce it with technological advancements, while of course being backed by a stronger strategic reserve.

The review doesn’t shy away from setting a new tone, either. At times almost Churchillian, its authors talk of preparing for the “inevitable” rather than the improbable. Russia is named plainly as the “immediate and pressing threat,” while the return of state-on-state warfare is called a “strategic inflection point.” What marks this review out from its predecessors, however, is its fixation with pace: innovation is to move at “wartime speed,” procurement is to happen “in months, not years,” and lethality is to be measured in networks, not numbers. Gone is the assumption that the UK’s geography shields it from conflict. The digital battlefield reaches “into the heart of our society,” and our armed forces must be able to endure “protracted, high-intensity conflict” if deterrence fails. That means not just ships and subs, but integrated comms, autonomous drones, electromagnetic dominance, and a supply chain that can scale on command.

While the defence sector broadly welcomed the SDR’s clarity and ambition, questions are already circling around delivery. BAE’s Chief Executive Charles Woodburn called it a “clear demand signal”, offering confidence to invest in capacity and next-gen systems - from autonomy and secure comms to AI and electronic warfare. But there is precious little room for manoeuvre. Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay Raja warned that geopolitical volatility and shrinking fiscal headroom could see the Chancellor’s buffers “dragged back into negative territory”, potentially tightening future investment just as MOD procurement is being asked to move at “wartime speed”.

Former Chief of the General Staff Lord Dannatt made the case for tax rises to break what he described as “30 years of underfunding”, and was sceptical of the timelines set out yesterday, describing them as “like saying to Adolf Hitler, please don’t attack us ’til 1946 because we’re not going to be ready.” Meanwhile former Conservative Defence Secretary Grant Shapps pointed to the tech arms race underway and called for a 4.5% GDP target to keep pace. The strategy may be written, but its execution will depend on whether the Government can deliver certainty to the industrial base building Britain’s digital arsenal.

Cyber and Technological Warfare

The Review found that the MoD has faced 90,000 cyberattacks from state-linked sources in two years.
It announced the creation of a CyberEM command to lead offensive cyber operations.
- This will also oversee integration of cyber, electromagnetic, and spectrum warfare across all domains.
The review announced a deployment of a fully integrated "Digital Targeting Web" by 2027 to enable machine-speed targeting and cross-domain lethality.
It also set out the need for the integration of drones, AI, and autonomous systems as part of rapid military innovation.
UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) was launched with £400M ringfenced annual budget to fund dual-use tech and commercial innovation.
The review encouraged lessons to be drawn from Ukraine war, including drone use (e.g., “Operation Spider’s Web”).

Force Structure and Readiness

Warfighting readiness becomes the central purpose of the armed forces – the Review names the establishment of a more lethal ‘integrated force’ equipped for the future as a central ambition.
There will be no immediate increase in army size due to recruitment/retention issues - the target remains 72,500 (the current level being 70,860). However, the Government has committed to improving recruitment and retention within the active reserves as a first step.
Reserves should be boosted by locating ex-personnel and incentivising cadet programs, the review recommended.
A new resilience force to defend infrastructure will be founded.
The Government will explore the formal obligations for strategic reserve participation.
“20-40-40” warfare model introduced, aiming to minimise troop casualties and maximise lethality.
- 20% heavy equipment (e.g., tanks) held back until later stages.
- 40% expendable systems (e.g., kamikaze drones, shells).
- 40% reusable drones (e.g., MQ-9 Reapers).
A new Defence Readiness Bill to provide legal framework for mobilisation of reserves and industry in wartime.

Weapons and Munitions Investment

£6 billion to replenish munitions stockpiles.
£1.5 billion for six new munitions factories, supporting 1,000 jobs.
The production of 7,000 long-range UK-built weapons.
The defence industrial strategy will include more war games for suppliers.

Infrastructure and Forces Housing

£1.5 billion will be allocated for military housing repairs (boilers, roofs, damp).
Investment in better living standards will be included as part of a strategy to boost recruitment and retention.

Naval Forces, Submarines, Shipbuilding

The Review includes a commitment to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines under AUKUS alliance, to be built in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby.
The Review also set out plans for the creation of hybrid Royal Navy blending ships, drones, submarines, aircraft.
A new Atlantic Bastion underwater surveillance programme will protect cables/pipelines from Russian sabotage.
A commitment to a new submarine produced every 18 months
An increase Royal Navy fleet to 25 destroyers/frigates (up from 14 currently).
An emphasis on resurgence in UK shipbuilding to support industrial and national security goals.

Procurement & International Partnerships

The Review commits to the creation of a new partnership with industry. This will involve overhauling acquisition processes from “top to bottom”
Industry will be engaged early in procurement processes on desired outcomes
Suppliers will be “rewarded” for productivity and for taking risks
At the heart of this partnership will be a new, segmented approach to procurement:
- Major modular platforms (contracting within two years).
- Pace-setting spiral and modular upgrades (contracting within a year).
- Rapid commercial exploitation (contracting within three months), with at least 10% of the MoD’s equipment procurement budget spent on novel technologies each year.
Exports and international capability partnerships will be mainstreamed into acquisition processes from the outset
A new framework for building and sustaining government-to-government relationships will be developed.
A new Defence Exports Office will be established to drive UK defence exports and strategic industrial partnerships.
All new systems to be interoperable with NATO and AUKUS allies with an emphasis on joint capability development.