The UK government has confirmed it is considering air and missile defence capabilities for the homeland, including potential protection of major population centres and critical infrastructure.
Responding to a written question from Green Party peer Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, Defence Minister Lord Coaker did not provide detail on specific plans or costs, but indicated that options are under active review.
“His Majesty’s Government continually monitors and assesses the threats to the United Kingdom,” he said.
Coaker added that “a range of air and missile defence capabilities are under consideration within the Defence Investment Plan,” suggesting that decisions on any future system will form part of the forthcoming spending and capability roadmap.
The response does not confirm whether the UK will pursue a dedicated land-based ballistic missile defence system, nor does it address potential costs or how interceptor stockpiles would be sustained.
The UK currently relies primarily on a mix of maritime-based air defence, allied capabilities and early warning systems, rather than a comprehensive ground-based missile shield comparable to those deployed by some NATO partners.
Is this a belated April Fools article?
It is quite genuine. The reply was dated April 1st 🙂
Ah yes the never ready Defence Investment Plan.
I was at the MoD in Whitehall in late 1997, when a senior guy was pushing for THAAD for the UK. The New Labour government was too CND heavy to consider that. Since then, there have been umpteen expensive GBAD/SAM studies, but nothing ordered. The UK needs to get off zero high end GBAD. Perhaps in stages, HM Treasury can cope with. A multi layer CAMM-MR, CAMM-ER, CAMM, system might provide the UK jobs Starmer would need to get the cost past his back benchers.
With the advent of Rapid Sentry, Sky Sabre and Aster 30 it looks as though Ukraine, the Gulf and c-uas are forging a ‘bottom up’ layered GBAD architecture. Just the outer BMD outer layers to sort out then?
Ok and where’s the money for it? Oh yeah it doesn’t exist
I take heart that a decision on land based missile interceptor capability is in the defence investment plan. I can only imagine that will be SAMP/T given how long the wait for Patriot and THAAD is. I could see potential for Leonardo to manufacture Kronos in the UK as part of any deal. It would also facilitate the ability to integrate CAMM in the same system.
This is the same Lord Coaker who knocked back the sensible addition of 30mm on the carriers. Let’s hope he’s a bit more sensible minded on GBAD. For example if France, Italy and Denmark have adopted Aster SAMP/T and others are looking at it why not for the UK? To be used in conjunction with other systems CAMM, LMM, counter drone, shared missile pools. What about NASAM’s? Where’s CAMM-MR at if at all? Over to you.
Lord Croaker is a Minister of State for Defence in the Lords, in other words he is very little if anything to do with decision making but he is available to answer questions in the Lords about minor matters. What’s more as he is unelected it’s not that important what he says or that he gets it right.
You may all have noticed that there are zero big announcements coming out of the HMG at the moment and unless something really serious happens it will stay that way till after the May elections.
So unless anything changes we may just find a mention of defence in the Kings Speech 13th May 🤷🏻
“considering”. That’s alright then. 🚀 No need to think about it until the 2030’s…
That means it in the in basket, I’ll get down the pile, find it, have a quick look, tick the box marked reviewed and stick it back in the in tray at the bottom.
Off topic, but Flight Global reported a day or two ago that the UK has apparently received the final aircraft of the first batch of 48 F-35Bs.
Mike, do you know if we have put in a firm Tranche 2 order?
I do not know why I bothered reading this.
I tend to skip the dross.
The first cruise missile/drone hit these islands on 12th June 1944 and the first ballistic missile hit the UK on 8th September 1944. I am glad we are now ‘considering’ ground based defences against their modern equivalents.
If this government actually cared about air defence of Britain we never would have retired our T1 Typhoon.