In response to a parliamentary question from Damien Moore, Conservative MP for Southport, the Ministry of Defence has outlined a series of significant steps to enhance the combat readiness of the UK armed forces.
Leo Docherty, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, detailed the measures being taken to ensure the armed forces remain fully prepared to protect and defend the nation.
“Our Armed Forces are always ready to protect and defend the UK and we continue to meet all operational commitments, including participating in every single NATO mission,” Docherty stated.
“The Defence Command Paper 23 sets out our plan to deliver a credible warfighting force, generated and employed to protect the nation and help it prosper now and in the years to come. This plan will deliver the biggest transformation and strengthening of our national defence since the Cold War,” he added.
To support this ambitious plan, the Ministry of Defence has committed to increasing defence spending to £87 billion per year by the end of the decade. A significant portion of this budget, £10 billion, will be allocated to munitions production.
“To support this, defence spending will increase to £87 billion a year by the end of the decade. As part of this, we’re investing £10 billion in munitions production to ensure we have rapid production capacity and stockpiles of next-generation munitions,” Docherty added.
..meeting all commitments…participating in all exercises..
With an adequate volume of troops and equipment…or a small token force?
AA
I’ll have you know that lots of rapid reaction/ expeditionary forces are equipped almost completely with light vehicles and small arms- as ours are (Foxhound and Jackal, with .50 cals and GMG). The fact that they’re the South Sudanese Army in Toyota technicals is beside the point.
I realise I’m being a bit facetious- I’d rather be in a Foxhound than a technical. But I concur with your concern about our lack of deployable ‘weight’.
The article is a bit confusing.
Not £10 billion a year by end 2029 but £10 billion total spend on munitions by end 2029?
Can someone explain why this is happening in 2024 and not 2022?