The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 16 July 2024, the initiation of a new Strategic Defence Review (SDR) aimed at a “root and branch” evaluation of the UK Armed Forces, to be completed in the first half of 2025.
The commitment to perform a new SDR was a part of the Labour Manifesto in the 2024 election, a pledge chosen to ensure the UK is fully prepared to deal with conventional and hybrid warfare. The news follows a reaffirmation at the Washington Nato summit to the UK’s commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.
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This will be the third SDR within five years, following a poor reception to the 2021 Integrated Review proposed under Boris Johnson’s Government, and a Strategic Review Refresh initiated under Liz Truss and delivered during Rishi Sunak’s premiership.
Continued updates to the SDR are not an anticipated element of their design, as the SDR represents the long-term strategic outlook for the UK, assessing challenges and providing an outline to be delivered over a number of years.
“We will make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected, that defence spending is responsibly increased, and that our country has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK’s resilience for the long term,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The review will be headed by Lord Robertson, a former defence secretary and Nato Secretary General, who as an external reviewer will be joined by former US presidential advisor Dr Fiona Hill, and General Sir Richard Barrons, a former Commander Joint Forces Command and former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff.
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By GlobalDataDefence Secretary John Healy stated that “at the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. The Review will strengthen the foundations for this new mission-driven Government.”
The release from the MoD emphasises that the SDR will take consultation from a broad selection of views, taking opinions from outside government, to include “serving military, veterans, MPs of all parties, industry, and academia.”
Objectives for the Strategic Review include fundamental aims, such as strengthening homeland security and supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia, as well as ambitions to support these aims by modernising the Nuclear deterrent and adapting military services and equipment programmes to meet requirements.
Within the Land domain, three glaring choices are presented for action by the incoming government, including choices in artillery between retaining the RCH 155 or expanding Archer programme, choices for the UK’s Main Battle Tank requirement between Challenger 3 or late variant Leopards, and decisions about the curtailment of the Ajax Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and the retention of the Warrior tracked IFV.
The Naval domain faces similar questions around its Amphibious Assault Ships, its Fleet Solid Support Ships, and its Dreadnought SSBNs.
A future SDR will also need to consider programmes within the Air domain, examining the expansion of the A400M Atlas fleet, and the New Medium Helicopter.
