Britain is set to implement its largest defense spending increase since the Cold War, aiming to send a clear “message to Moscow,” UK Defense Secretary John Healey said Sunday. The Labour government’s plan will push defense spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027—an increase of £13 billion ($17 billion) annually—and Healey expects it to reach 3% in the early 2030s.
“This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required,” Healey told the BBC. The boost comes as part of a sweeping defense review, led by former NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson, which will outline strategies for the military, cybersecurity, and munitions production in the face of rising global threats.
The review, the most significant since the fall of the Soviet Union, is a response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and a surge in state-linked cyberattacks against the UK. Healey said Russia is “attacking the UK daily,” with 90,000 cyber threats over the last two years. A new cyber command will be established to counter such attacks.
The UK’s expanded defense budget will also support the procurement of up to 7,000 long-range UK-built Storm Shadow missiles, with £6 billion earmarked for munitions over the next five years.
The move follows pressure from President Donald Trump, who has urged NATO allies to increase defense spending and warned that the US may not continue to shoulder Europe’s security burdens.
While the UK’s defense spending surge has been welcomed by some, critics, including Conservative Robert Jenrick, argue the government’s timeline is too slow, urging spending to hit 3% of national income sooner.
