Defence Secretary John Healey used the Lord Mayor’s Annual Defence and Security Lecture in London to announce that the government is preparing new legal powers to allow the military to bring down unidentified drones threatening UK bases.
Framing his remarks within what he described as “a new era of threat,” Healey said the security environment is “more unstable, more uncertain, more dangerous,” and warned that “not since the end of the Second World War has Europe’s security been at such risk of state-on-state conflict.”
He added: “We will always do what’s needed to keep the British people safe… and as we speak, we are developing new legal powers to bring down unidentified drones over UK military sites.” He also noted that “each month, more attack drones are being launched into Ukraine,” while “last month, we saw 19 cross the Polish border… days later, Russian jets violated Estonia’s airspace… while at the same time, Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova’s election.”
At home, he said, “we continue to defend ourselves daily against threats ranging from the seabed to cyberspace.”
Setting out the government’s broader posture, Healey described “a new era for defence” built on “hard power, strong alliances and sure diplomacy.” He highlighted the Strategic Defence Review as “a landmark shift in our deterrence and defence… moving to warfighting readiness to deter threats and strengthen security in the Euro-Atlantic… and drawing lessons from Ukraine to put the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation and to build Britain’s industrial base.” He cast the effort as “a New Deal for European security” focused on how Allies “truly fight together,” “advance our advantage through innovation,” and “invest for the future.”
On Ukraine, Healey reiterated that “the UK is united for Ukraine,” stating, “this year, we will provide the highest ever level of military support to Ukraine: £4.5 billion.” He said the UK has “taken over the leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, alongside Germany,” raising “pledges of over £50 billion for military aid.” He also outlined contingency planning for a possible ceasefire scenario, describing work with more than 30 nations on “detailed plans… for a ‘Multinational Force Ukraine’… to secure the skies and seas, and to train Ukrainian forces to defend their nation.”
Healey stressed alliance-building and interoperability, pointing to recent agreements with European partners: “There was no UK leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group… no landmark Trinity House Defence Agreement with Germany… no reboot of the Lancaster House Treaty with France… there is now.” He said the UK’s Norway deal “marks the birth of a joint fleet of submarine hunters to protect NATO’s northern flank,” adding, “over the next 5 years, we will make this a hallmark of our New Deal for European security… deploying combined forces together, to deter together.”
Healey also argued that “plans simply to ‘modernise’ our Armed Forces will fall short,” underscoring the need to transform with drones, AI, autonomy and novel capabilities. “We launched UK Defence Innovation, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million… and we committed to spending 10 per cent of our equipment budget on novel technologies, starting this year,” he said.
“I want to put the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation, making defence an engine for growth, making Britain safer and making Britain’s Armed Forces the most innovating military in NATO.”
He closed with a call for sustained resolve: “Business as before will not cut it… our duty in government can be simply put: … to meet the challenges in this new era of threat to forge a new era for European security.”
The power to shoot down drones should’ve been there already, its ridiculous its taken this long.
Every government: “We care about national security.”
Ye my hairy backside.
“We will always do what’s needed to keep the British people safe”
But you’re not, are you?
Where in those paragraphs of waffle and repeating the obvious is ANY commitment to expand, even only in certain areas, any part of HMG forces size, mass, and capabilities?
None.
Drones, resilience, industry, Ukraine. All the key phrases in there, but you forgot “agile” and “at pace” which is unusual.
So let me pick apart some of your spin for you.
warned that “not since the end of the Second World War has Europe’s security been at such risk of state-on-state conflict.”
Agreed. So why are you still cutting the military, Mr Healey? After endless warnings for the best part of two years.
Healey described “a new era for defence” built on “hard power, strong alliances and sure diplomacy.”
The strong alliances and sure diplomacy have existed for decades, nothing new. We have hard power, but far too small. Where are the extra assets for hard power Mr Healey?
“we continue to defend ourselves daily against threats ranging from the seabed to cyberspace.”
Easy comment to make, as neither are measurable as both will be classified. I believe RFA Proteus was barely crewed and laid up for some time.
What will she actually do beyond surveying the damage? Cyber is highly classified and easy to say.
“and as we speak, we are developing new legal powers to bring down unidentified drones over UK military sites.”
Good. Needed. With WHAT? There is Zero AA kinetic capability at ANY MoD establishment beyond the guns of RN vessels. Number 2 CUAS Wing at RAF Leeming has a handful of anti Drone assets, from Rapid Sentry LMM to jammers like Orcus.
How do you deploy it effectively over multiple defence sites, Mr Healey?
“moving to warfighting readiness to deter threats and strengthen security in the Euro-Atlantic…”
There are various niche areas of HM forces that are always at war fighting readiness, nothing new. So what else are you doing?
The Army is having its deck chairs reshuffled yet again, for about the 4th time since the 2010 SDSR, with no actual extra people, vehicles, artillery, or helicopters as part of this ORBAT reshuffle, which I study at length well enough.
The RAF, same again, no new assets beyond what was already ordered by the previous government, same with the RN. Those two services at least have had their houses in order for some time without the need for another pointless reshuffle of their ORBAT.
Strategic Command, you renamed “Specialist Operations and Cyber Command” Same Command, same assets.
New name.
Wonderful stuff!
“put the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation and to build Britain’s industrial base.”
Agreed again. For all the innovation and industrial enhancements, which I know are HMGs actual priority, not the military, what are you actually ordering?
Industry needs to produce and sell stuff, and MoD needs to buy, not just set up programs with no actual orders at the end of it.
What are you buying Mr Healey, beyond what was already in the pipeline?
““a New Deal for European security” focused on how Allies “truly fight together,” “advance our advantage through innovation,” and “invest for the future.”
Same flowery talk at every SDSR since 2004, while the forces waste away. What new deal? Trump got nations to spend extra, but where is your extra spend? So far, you’ve placed the SIA, Chagos payments, Ukraine money, Afghan rehoming into the 2.5% and other stuff besides, exactly the same slight of hand that the Tories did in 2010. Many billions of pounds.
Not a penny extra for conventional forces, Mr Healey.
On Ukraine, yes, all good stuff. But I suspect an awful lot of the need to Grandstand in there too.
“Healey stressed alliance-building and interoperability, pointing to recent agreements with European partners:”
Many or most of which existed BEFORE this government came into power, but you’ll highlight them anyway for effect. Triton, Boxer, RCH155 amongst others with Germany alone.
“Healey also argued that “plans simply to ‘modernise’ our Armed Forces will fall short,” underscoring the need to transform with drones, AI, autonomy and novel capabilities. “We launched UK Defence Innovation, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million… and we committed to spending 10 per cent of our equipment budget on novel technologies, starting this year,” he said.
The Armed Forces are being modernised since time began. Every SDSR since 95 has had the same theme. Modernising should not be a euphemism for cuts, which is what it has become.
Long on words, short on any expansion of the forces.
For balance, improvements evident the long overdue vast sums being poured into the DNE and infrastructure at Aldermaston, Burghfield, Faslane, Devonport, Raynesway, and Barrow. Also, some vague announcements on 6 “new” factories, bringing Sheffield Forgemasters and the Semiconductor Fabrication Plant at Aycliffe Business Park under MoD ownership, and on expanding ammunition stocks which is again unquantifiable and they may have been so low to start with any expansion grandstanded is meaningless. Example, if the GBAD Sky Sabre force really was a low as some say, ordering another 12 launchers still leaves Army GBAD hanging by a string, no matter how many times you headline the purchase.
I see little new here, sorry.
Well said, D. Spot on as usual.
Essentially all true.. I’m just holding onto the hope it changes.
Why should it. This government are all yalk, they’ve no interest in defence and I think many of their MPs are more interested in Palestine and ousting their leader to put a more left wing figurehead in.
Starmer is interested in his popularity, and Labour prioritise the welfare state and the NHS.
Where is the extra money coming from? Their MPs hit the roof at the small welfare reforms they attempted.
Hear, Hear💯😒
Same old soundbites
We need real change
Always cuts to be filled by a very large can of jam.
Billy Bunter always seems to intercept the jam consignment…